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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眠 眠 mián close eyes, sleep; hibernate ∼HSK 5
祸 禍 huò misfortune, calamity, disaster ∼HSK 5
仁 仁 rén humaneness, benevolence, kindness ∼HSK 5
辈子 輩子 bèi zi all one's life; lifetime ∼HSK 5
待会 待會 dāi hui wait a minute; stop a while ∼HSK 5
浑 渾 hún muddy, turbid; blend, merge, mix ∼HSK 5
做媒 做媒 zuò méi to act as go-between (between prospective marriage partners etc) ∼HSK 5
两样 兩樣 liǎng yàng not the same; different ∼HSK 5
蔼 藹 ǎi lush; affable, friendly ∼HSK 5
窍 竅 qiào hole, opening, aperture ∼HSK 5
拢 攏 lǒng collect, bring together ∼HSK 5
捻 捻 niǎn to twist or nip with the fingers ∼HSK 5
扔掉 扔掉 rēng diào to throw away; to throw out ∼HSK 5
琉璃 琉璃 liú li colored glaze used in traditional Chinese architecture; colored or clear glass art object ∼HSK 5
彤 彤 Tóng red, vermilion; name of ancient ∼HSK 5
髦 髦 máo flowing hair of young child ∼HSK 5
契 契 qì deed, contract, bond; engrave ∼HSK 5
芬 芬 fēn fragrance, aroma; perfume ∼HSK 5
孑 孑 jié remaining, left-over; lonely ∼HSK 5
讫 訖 qì finish; conclude, stop; exhaust ∼HSK 5
无异 無異 wú yì nothing other than; to differ in no way from; the same as; to amount to ∼HSK 5
甲申 甲申 jiǎ shēn 21st year A9 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 2004 or 2064 ∼HSK 5
唤 喚 huàn summon, call ∼HSK 5
烟枪 煙槍 yān qiāng opium pipe ∼HSK 5
拆穿 拆穿 chāi chuān to expose; to unmask; to see through (a lie etc) ∼HSK 5
恼 惱 nǎo annoyed ∼HSK 5
笠 笠 lì bamboo hat; bamboo covering ∼HSK 5
相骂 相罵 xiāng mà to hurl insults at each other ∼HSK 5
囝 囝 jiǎn baby, infant ∼HSK 5
杀千刀的 殺千刀的 shā qiān dāo de bastard; scumbag; son of a bitch ∼HSK 5
胚 肧 pēi embryo; unfinished things ∼HSK 5
小老婆 小老婆 xiǎo lǎo pó concubine; mistress; (dialect) woman ∼HSK 5
猡 玀 luó pig; Lolo aboringinal tribe ∼HSK 5
不敢当 不敢當 bù gǎn dāng lit. I dare not (accept the honor); fig. I don't deserve your praise; you flatter me HSK 5
吃力 吃力 chī lì to entail strenuous effort; to toil at a task; strenuous; laborious; strain HSK 5
火腿 火腿 huǒ tuǐ ham HSK 5
不得了 不得了 bù dé liǎo desperately serious; disastrous; extremely; exceedingly HSK 5
不时 不時 bù shí from time to time; now and then; occasionally; frequently HSK 5
用不着 用不著 yòng bu zháo not need; have no use for HSK 5
亏 虧 kuī deficiency; deficit; luckily; it's lucky that...; (often ironically) fancy that... HSK 5
摔倒 摔倒 shuāi dǎo to fall down; to slip and fall; to throw sb to the ground HSK 5
风光 風光 fēng guāng scene; view; sight; landscape; to be well-regarded; to be well-off; grand (dialect); impressive (dialect) HSK 5
钓 釣 diào to fish with a hook and bait HSK 5
升高 升高 shēng gāo to raise; to ascend HSK 5
珍珠 珍珠 zhēn zhū pearl HSK 5
葡萄 葡萄 pú tao grape HSK 5
近来 近來 jìn lái recently; lately HSK 5
面子 面子 miàn zi outer surface; the outside of sth; social prestige; face HSK 5
看待 看待 kàn dài to look upon; to regard HSK 5
隔壁 隔壁 gé bì next door; neighbor HSK 5