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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了债 了債 liǎo zhài to repay one's debt ∼HSK 6
翡翠 翡翠 fěi cuì jadeite; tree kingfisher ∼HSK 6
划拳 划拳 huá quán finger-guessing game ∼HSK 6
不舒服 不舒服 bù shū fu unwell; feeling ill; to feel uncomfortable; uneasy ∼HSK 6
得利 得利 dé lì to benefit (from sth) ∼HSK 6
别苗头 別苗頭 bié miáo tou (dialect) to compete with; to pit oneself against ∼HSK 6
撑场面 撐場面 chēng chǎng miàn to keep up appearances; to put up a front ∼HSK 6
还清 還清 huán qīng to pay back in full; to redeem a debt ∼HSK 6
清爽 清爽 qīng shuǎng fresh and cool; relaxed ∼HSK 6
塌台 塌臺 tā tái to collapse ∼HSK 6
冤家 冤家 yuān jia enemy; foe; (in opera) sweetheart or destined love ∼HSK 6
样样 樣樣 yàng yàng all kinds ∼HSK 6
镶金 鑲金 xiāng jīn gilded; inlaid with gold ∼HSK 6
绣花 繡花 xiù huā to embroider; to do embroidery ∼HSK 6
织锦 織錦 zhī jǐn brocade; silk fabric with colored pattern ∼HSK 6
手印 手印 shǒu yìn handprint; fingerprint; thumbprint ∼HSK 6
麦芽糖 麥芽糖 mài yá táng maltose (sweet syrup) ∼HSK 6
哐啷 哐啷 kuāng lāng (onom.) clang; clatter; bang; crash; clank ∼HSK 6
兜风 兜風 dōu fēng to catch the wind; to go for a spin in the fresh air ∼HSK 6
凶死 兇死 xiōng sǐ to die in violence ∼HSK 6
结棍 結棍 jié gùn (Wu dialect) sturdy; robust; formidable; awesome ∼HSK 6
洋货 洋貨 yáng huò Western goods; imported goods (in former times) ∼HSK 6
帐簿 帳簿 zhàng bù account book ∼HSK 6
不清 不清 bù qīng unclear ∼HSK 6
清官 清官 qīng guān honest and upright official (traditional) ∼HSK 6
坠子 墜子 zhuì zi weight; pendant; same as; ballad singing accompanied by a ∼HSK 6
稀饭 稀飯 xī fàn porridge; gruel; congee ∼HSK 6
不觉 不覺 bù jué unconsciously ∼HSK 6
天地良心 天地良心 tiān dì liáng xīn in all honesty; truth to tell ∼HSK 6
魂灵 魂靈 hún líng soul; mind; idea ∼HSK 6
梳头 梳頭 shū tóu to comb one's hair ∼HSK 6
裹脚 裹腳 guǒ jiǎo foot-binding; long strip of cloth used for foot-binding ∼HSK 6
服侍 服侍 fú shi to attend to; to care for (patients etc); to look after; to wait upon; to serve; also written 伏侍, see also ∼HSK 6
恩爱 恩愛 ēn ài loving affection (in a couple); conjugal love ∼HSK 6
光景 光景 guāng jǐng circumstances; scene; about; probably ∼HSK 6
闷声不响 悶聲不響 mēn shēng bù xiǎng to keep silent ∼HSK 6
进帐 進帳 jìn zhàng variant of ∼HSK 6
赎金 贖金 shú jīn ransom ∼HSK 6
有道理 有道理 yǒu dào li to make sense; reasonable ∼HSK 6
几样 幾樣 jǐ yàng several kinds ∼HSK 6
照应 照應 zhào ying to look after; to take care of; to attend to HSK 6
外头 外頭 wài tou outside; out HSK 6
待会儿 待會兒 dāi huì r in a moment; later; also pr. [dāi huǐ r] or [dāi hui r] HSK 6
作废 作廢 zuò fèi to become invalid; to cancel; to delete; to nullify HSK 6
钟头 鐘頭 zhōng tóu hour HSK 6
要好 要好 yào hǎo to be on good terms; to be close friends; striving for self-improvement HSK 6
强盗 強盜 qiáng dào to rob (with force); bandit; robber HSK 6
诸位 諸位 zhū wèi (pron) everyone; Ladies and Gentlemen; Sirs HSK 6
一道 一道 yī dào together HSK 6
特地 特地 tè dì specially; for a special purpose HSK 6