Flowers of Shanghai

Flowers of Shanghai 1998

海上花 hǎishàng huā

At the end of the 19th century, Shanghai is divided into several foreign concessions. In the British concession, a number of luxurious “flower houses” are reserved for the male elite of the city. Since Chinese dignitaries are not allowed to frequent brothels, these establishments are the only ones that these men can visit. They form a self-contained world, with its own rites, traditions and even its own language. The men don’t only visit the houses to frequent the courtesans but also to dine, smoke opium, play mahjong and relax. The women working there are known as the “flowers of Shanghai”.

HSK 1
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4.02 Intermediate

Vocabulary

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随便 隨便 suí biàn as one wishes; as one pleases; at random; negligent; casual; wanton HSK 2
讲话 講話 jiǎng huà a speech; to speak; to talk; to address HSK 2
喊 喊 hǎn to yell; to shout; to call out for (a person) HSK 2
差不多 差不多 chà bu duō almost; nearly; more or less; about the same; good enough; not bad HSK 2
多么 多麼 duō me how (wonderful etc); what (a great idea etc); however (difficult it may be etc); (in interrogative sentences) how (much etc); to what extent HSK 2
好多 好多 hǎo duō many; quite a lot; much better HSK 2
轻 輕 qīng light; easy; gentle; soft; reckless; unimportant; frivolous; small in number; unstressed; neutral; to disparage HSK 2
黄 黃 huáng yellow; pornographic; to fall through HSK 2
千 千 qiān thousand HSK 2
急 急 jí urgent; pressing; rapid; hurried; worried; to make (sb) anxious HSK 2
蓝 藍 lán blue; indigo plant HSK 2
借 借 jiè to lend; to borrow; by means of; to take (an opportunity) HSK 2
不行 不行 bù xíng won't do; be out of the question; be no good; not work; not be capable HSK 2
打算 打算 dǎ suàn to plan; to intend; to calculate; plan; intention; calculation HSK 2
瓶 瓶 píng bottle; vase; pitcher; classifier for wine and liquids HSK 2
怎么样 怎麼樣 zěn me yàng how?; how about?; how was it?; how are things? HSK 2
鸡 雞 jī fowl; chicken; (slang) prostitute HSK 2
养 養 yǎng to raise (animals); to bring up (children); to keep (pets); to support; to give birth HSK 2
油 油 yóu oil; fat; grease; petroleum; to apply tung oil, paint or varnish; oily; greasy; glib; cunning HSK 2
听说 聽說 tīng shuō to hear (sth said); one hears (that); hearsay; listening and speaking HSK 2
心里 心裡 xīn li chest; heart; mind HSK 2
节 節 jié joint; node; (bound form) section; segment; solar term (one of the 24 divisions of the year in the traditional Chinese calendar); seasonal festival; (bound form) to economize; to save; (bound form) moral integrity; chastity; classifier for segments: lessons, train wagons, biblical verses etc; knot (nautical miles per hour) HSK 2
鱼 魚 yú fish HSK 2
通 通 tōng to go through; to know well; (suffix) expert; to connect; to communicate; open; to clear; classifier for letters, telegrams, phone calls etc HSK 2
样子 樣子 yàng zi appearance; manner; pattern; model HSK 2
夜 亱 yè night HSK 2
海 海 hǎi ocean; sea; great number of people or things; (dialect) numerous HSK 2
就要 就要 jiù yào will; shall; to be going to HSK 2
嘴 嘴 zuǐ mouth; beak; nozzle; spout (of teapot etc) HSK 2
后来 後來 hòu lái afterwards; later; newly arrived HSK 2
不少 不少 bù shǎo many; a lot; not few HSK 2
意思 意思 yì si idea; opinion; meaning; wish; desire; interest; fun; token of appreciation, affection etc; to give as a small token; to do sth as a gesture of goodwill etc HSK 2
同样 同樣 tóng yàng same; equal; equivalent HSK 2
许多 許多 xǔ duō many; a lot of; much HSK 2
弄 弄 lòng lane; alley HSK 2
面前 面前 miàn qián in front of; facing; (in the) presence (of) HSK 2
怕 怕 pà to be afraid; to fear; to dread; to be unable to endure; perhaps HSK 2
哭 哭 kū to cry; to weep HSK 2
数 數 shǔ to count; to count as; to regard as; to enumerate; to list HSK 2
怎样 怎樣 zěn yàng how; what kind HSK 2
做到 做到 zuò dào to accomplish; to achieve HSK 2
眼睛 眼睛 yǎn jing eye HSK 2
一般 一般 yī bān same; ordinary; so-so; common; general; generally; in general HSK 2
红 紅 hóng red; popular; revolutionary; bonus HSK 2
酒 酒 jiǔ wine (esp. rice wine); liquor; spirits; alcoholic beverage HSK 2
倒 倒 dǎo to fall; to collapse; to lie horizontally; to fail; to go bankrupt; to overthrow; to change (trains or buses); to move around; to resell at a profit HSK 2
气 氣 qì gas; air; smell; weather; to make angry; to annoy; to get angry; vital energy; qi HSK 2
清楚 清楚 qīng chu clear; distinct; to understand thoroughly; to be clear about HSK 2
装 裝 zhuāng adornment; to adorn; dress; clothing; costume (of an actor in a play); to play a role; to pretend; to install; to fix; to wrap (sth in a bag); to load; to pack HSK 2
好像 好像 hǎo xiàng as if; to seem like HSK 2