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
2
3
4
5
6
7
4.02 Intermediate

Vocabulary

Filter the words you want to study before watching.

穷 窮 qióng poor; destitute; to use up; to exhaust; thoroughly; extremely; (coll.) persistently and pointlessly Colloquialism HSK 4
老婆 老婆 lǎo pó (coll.) wife Colloquialism HSK 4
俩 倆 liǎ two (colloquial equivalent of 两个); both; some Colloquialism HSK 4
八仙 八仙 Bā xiān the Eight Immortals (Daoist mythology) Proper Noun ∼HSK 4
李 李 Lǐ Li (surname) Proper Noun ∼HSK 4
公馆 公館 Gōng guǎn Gongguan or Kungkuan township in Miaoli county, northwest Taiwan Proper Noun ∼HSK 4
黄浦江 黃浦江 Huáng pǔ Jiāng Huangpu River, major river flowing through Shanghai, dividing the city into Puxi (west of the river) and Pudong (east of the river) Proper Noun ∼HSK 4
珠三角 珠三角 Zhū Sān jiǎo Pearl River Delta Proper Noun ∼HSK 4
庆云 慶雲 Qìng yún Qingyun county in Dezhou, Shandong Proper Noun ∼HSK 4
为啥 為啥 wèi shá dialectal equivalent of ∼HSK 4
这样子 這樣子 zhè yàng zi so; such; this way; like this ∼HSK 4
自家 自家 zì jiā oneself; one's own family ∼HSK 4
庄 莊 zhuāng village, hamlet; villa, manor ∼HSK 4
做官 做官 zuò guān to take an official post; to become a government employee ∼HSK 4
鸦片 鴉片 yā piàn opium (loanword) ∼HSK 4
彩 彩 cǎi hue, color; variegated colors ∼HSK 4
平局 平局 píng jú a draw (in competition); a tie ∼HSK 4
没办法 沒辦法 méi bàn fǎ there is nothing to be done; one can't do anything about it ∼HSK 4
单单 單單 dān dān only; merely; just ∼HSK 4
什么事 什麼事 shén me shì what matter ∼HSK 4
定亲 定親 dìng qīn to settle a marriage; betrothal ∼HSK 4
要嘛 要嘛 yào ma either...; or... ∼HSK 4
此地 此地 cǐ dì here; this place ∼HSK 4
怎么能 怎麼能 zěn yāo néng how could one ∼HSK 4
怎么会 怎麼會 zěn yāo huì how could it ∼HSK 4
面色 面色 miàn sè complexion ∼HSK 4
摆架子 擺架子 bǎi jià zi to put on airs; to assume great airs ∼HSK 4
非但 非但 fēi dàn not only ∼HSK 4
倒替 倒替 dǎo tì to take turns (responsibility); to replace ∼HSK 4
牌局 牌局 pái jú gambling get-together; game of cards, mahjong etc ∼HSK 4
用项 用項 yòng xiàng items of expenditure; expenditures ∼HSK 4
知 知 zhī know ∼HSK 4
打翻 打翻 dǎ fān to overturn; to overthrow; to strike down (an enemy) ∼HSK 4
十倍 十倍 shí bèi tenfold; ten times (sth) ∼HSK 4
总归 總歸 zǒng guī anyhow; after all; eventually ∼HSK 4
划一 劃一 huà yī uniform; to standardize ∼HSK 4
九九归一 九九歸一 jiǔ jiǔ guī yī nine divide by nine is one (abacus rule); when all is said and done ∼HSK 4
意 意 Yì meaning, intent ∼HSK 4
羽 羽 yǔ feather, plume; wings; rad. 124 ∼HSK 4
脸皮厚 臉皮厚 liǎn pí hòu brazen ∼HSK 4
吃苦头 吃苦頭 chī kǔ tou to suffer; to suffer for one's actions; to pay dearly; to burn one's fingers ∼HSK 4
升官 升官 shēng guān to get promoted ∼HSK 4
膏 膏 gāo grease, fat; paste, ointment ∼HSK 4
二宝 二寶 èr bǎo second child; second baby ∼HSK 4
吵闹 吵鬧 chǎo nào noisy; raucous; to shout and scream ∼HSK 4
瓜葛 瓜葛 guā gé connection; association; involvement ∼HSK 4
前头 前頭 qián tou in front; at the head; ahead; above HSK 4
看不起 看不起 kàn bu qǐ to look down upon; to despise HSK 4
调皮 調皮 tiáo pí naughty; mischievous; unruly HSK 4
不要紧 不要緊 bù yào jǐn unimportant; not serious; it doesn't matter; never mind; it looks all right, but HSK 4