Marjorie Topley
Jean DeBernardi (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789888028146
- eISBN:
- 9789882206663
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888028146.003.0006
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
This chapter presents ceremonies which took place in a Dying House. The total cost of the marriage was approximately $200 Straits and a priest was engaged to see to the necessary arrangements. He was ...
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This chapter presents ceremonies which took place in a Dying House. The total cost of the marriage was approximately $200 Straits and a priest was engaged to see to the necessary arrangements. He was one of a small group of professionals belonging to a Cantonese branch of the Cheng I [Zhengyi] school of Taoism who earn their living in Singapore by performing at funeral ceremonies and at Cantonese occasional rites. The priest arranged for the “wedding” ceremony to be held in the temple, hired a room at the Dying House, bought or made all the necessary paraphernalia and together with his troupe of colleagues and disciples performed all the appropriate ceremonies. According to the Taoist priest in charge of the day's activities, Cantonese ghost marriages are still by no means rare in Singapore and he has been engaged to perform them by people, mainly women, of various occupations and income.Less
This chapter presents ceremonies which took place in a Dying House. The total cost of the marriage was approximately $200 Straits and a priest was engaged to see to the necessary arrangements. He was one of a small group of professionals belonging to a Cantonese branch of the Cheng I [Zhengyi] school of Taoism who earn their living in Singapore by performing at funeral ceremonies and at Cantonese occasional rites. The priest arranged for the “wedding” ceremony to be held in the temple, hired a room at the Dying House, bought or made all the necessary paraphernalia and together with his troupe of colleagues and disciples performed all the appropriate ceremonies. According to the Taoist priest in charge of the day's activities, Cantonese ghost marriages are still by no means rare in Singapore and he has been engaged to perform them by people, mainly women, of various occupations and income.
Maria M. Chow
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195173048
- eISBN:
- 9780199872091
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195173048.003.0018
- Subject:
- Music, Ethnomusicology, World Music
Based on a fifteen-month survey of different Chinese American churches and hymnals, this chapter examines the choices made by immigrants from different parts and different linguistic traditions in ...
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Based on a fifteen-month survey of different Chinese American churches and hymnals, this chapter examines the choices made by immigrants from different parts and different linguistic traditions in East Asia. Chicago's Chinatown is given a central role. Chinese hymns respond not only to the adaptation of immigrants to American religious experience, but also to the need to find common Chinese languages, particularly for those from Cantonese and Mandarin backgrounds, as well as Taiwanese heritage. Hymnals vary in the way in which common American traditions take place, but most of them accommodate change and create possibilities for Chinese Americans to worship and sing together. Linguistic diversity therefore coexists with common repertories.Less
Based on a fifteen-month survey of different Chinese American churches and hymnals, this chapter examines the choices made by immigrants from different parts and different linguistic traditions in East Asia. Chicago's Chinatown is given a central role. Chinese hymns respond not only to the adaptation of immigrants to American religious experience, but also to the need to find common Chinese languages, particularly for those from Cantonese and Mandarin backgrounds, as well as Taiwanese heritage. Hymnals vary in the way in which common American traditions take place, but most of them accommodate change and create possibilities for Chinese Americans to worship and sing together. Linguistic diversity therefore coexists with common repertories.
John McWhorter
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195309805
- eISBN:
- 9780199788378
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195309805.003.0006
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Theoretical Linguistics
This chapter shows that while Altaic languages had a decisive effect upon Mandarin, transfer was a relatively minor factor, while reduction due to non-native competence was comprehensively ...
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This chapter shows that while Altaic languages had a decisive effect upon Mandarin, transfer was a relatively minor factor, while reduction due to non-native competence was comprehensively transformative. The evidence also suggests that the crucial locus of transformation was not the occupations by Genghis Khan (13th through 14th centuries) or the Manchus (1644-1911), but the widespread resettlement of conquered and dispossessed peoples amid Han Chinese on the northern Chinese frontier from the 600s through the 800s under the Tang dynasty. A comparison of Mandarin with its sister languages in nine aspects of grammar is presented.Less
This chapter shows that while Altaic languages had a decisive effect upon Mandarin, transfer was a relatively minor factor, while reduction due to non-native competence was comprehensively transformative. The evidence also suggests that the crucial locus of transformation was not the occupations by Genghis Khan (13th through 14th centuries) or the Manchus (1644-1911), but the widespread resettlement of conquered and dispossessed peoples amid Han Chinese on the northern Chinese frontier from the 600s through the 800s under the Tang dynasty. A comparison of Mandarin with its sister languages in nine aspects of grammar is presented.
Carmen K. M. Lee
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195304794
- eISBN:
- 9780199788248
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195304794.003.0008
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Sociolinguistics / Anthropological Linguistics
This chapter examines the linguistic features of CMC in Hong Kong, based on a 70,000-word corpus of email and ICQ messages collected mainly from undergraduate students whose first language is ...
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This chapter examines the linguistic features of CMC in Hong Kong, based on a 70,000-word corpus of email and ICQ messages collected mainly from undergraduate students whose first language is Cantonese, with English as their second language. Text analysis of the messages was complemented by a questionnaire survey. The study provides a comprehensive overview of CMC features in Hong Kong, including Cantonese-English code mixing and morpheme-by-morpheme literal translations. The analysis reveals that some CMC features observed in Hong Kong are different from those of other Chinese-speaking communities, such as the Taiwan-based CMC community described in Chapter 3, while other findings are comparable to those in previous studies of CMC in Chinese-speaking contexts.Less
This chapter examines the linguistic features of CMC in Hong Kong, based on a 70,000-word corpus of email and ICQ messages collected mainly from undergraduate students whose first language is Cantonese, with English as their second language. Text analysis of the messages was complemented by a questionnaire survey. The study provides a comprehensive overview of CMC features in Hong Kong, including Cantonese-English code mixing and morpheme-by-morpheme literal translations. The analysis reveals that some CMC features observed in Hong Kong are different from those of other Chinese-speaking communities, such as the Taiwan-based CMC community described in Chapter 3, while other findings are comparable to those in previous studies of CMC in Chinese-speaking contexts.
Virgil Ho
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199282715
- eISBN:
- 9780191603037
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199282714.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
This book critically examines six aspects of the popular culture of early and mid-Republican (1912-38) Canton: common perceptions of the city, popular attitudes towards the West, Cantonese opera, ...
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This book critically examines six aspects of the popular culture of early and mid-Republican (1912-38) Canton: common perceptions of the city, popular attitudes towards the West, Cantonese opera, opium smoking, gambling, and prostitution. Misunderstandings and biased assumptions about these social phenomena as portrayed in much contemporary as well as present-day official or ‘socially conscientious’ literature are redressed. Contemporary folk materials reveal that the common people were much more pro-Western than xenophobic in attitude; the alleged social and political ‘calamities’ of gambling, opium consumption, and prostitution were more rhetorical than real; the socio-cultural status of the city has surpassed that of the countryside; and the commercialization and Westernization of Cantonese opera was much less straightforward or complete than its critics argued.Less
This book critically examines six aspects of the popular culture of early and mid-Republican (1912-38) Canton: common perceptions of the city, popular attitudes towards the West, Cantonese opera, opium smoking, gambling, and prostitution. Misunderstandings and biased assumptions about these social phenomena as portrayed in much contemporary as well as present-day official or ‘socially conscientious’ literature are redressed. Contemporary folk materials reveal that the common people were much more pro-Western than xenophobic in attitude; the alleged social and political ‘calamities’ of gambling, opium consumption, and prostitution were more rhetorical than real; the socio-cultural status of the city has surpassed that of the countryside; and the commercialization and Westernization of Cantonese opera was much less straightforward or complete than its critics argued.
Wing Chung Ng
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- April 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780252039119
- eISBN:
- 9780252097096
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5406/illinois/9780252039119.001.0001
- Subject:
- Music, Ethnomusicology, World Music
Defined by its distinct performance style, stage practices, and regional- and dialect-based identities, Cantonese opera originated as a traditional art form performed by itinerant companies in temple ...
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Defined by its distinct performance style, stage practices, and regional- and dialect-based identities, Cantonese opera originated as a traditional art form performed by itinerant companies in temple courtyards and rural market fairs. In the early 1900s, however, Cantonese opera began to capture mass audiences in the commercial theaters of Hong Kong and Guangzhou—a transformation that changed it forever. This book charts Cantonese opera's confrontations with state power, nationalist discourses, and its challenge to the ascendancy of Peking opera as the country's preeminent “national theatre.” Mining vivid oral histories and heretofore untapped archival sources, the book relates how Cantonese opera evolved from a fundamentally rural tradition into urbanized entertainment distinguished by a reliance on capitalization and celebrity performers. It also expands analysis to the transnational level, showing how waves of Chinese emigration to Southeast Asia and North America further re-shaped Cantonese opera into a vibrant part of the ethnic Chinese social life and cultural landscape in the many corners of a sprawling diaspora.Less
Defined by its distinct performance style, stage practices, and regional- and dialect-based identities, Cantonese opera originated as a traditional art form performed by itinerant companies in temple courtyards and rural market fairs. In the early 1900s, however, Cantonese opera began to capture mass audiences in the commercial theaters of Hong Kong and Guangzhou—a transformation that changed it forever. This book charts Cantonese opera's confrontations with state power, nationalist discourses, and its challenge to the ascendancy of Peking opera as the country's preeminent “national theatre.” Mining vivid oral histories and heretofore untapped archival sources, the book relates how Cantonese opera evolved from a fundamentally rural tradition into urbanized entertainment distinguished by a reliance on capitalization and celebrity performers. It also expands analysis to the transnational level, showing how waves of Chinese emigration to Southeast Asia and North America further re-shaped Cantonese opera into a vibrant part of the ethnic Chinese social life and cultural landscape in the many corners of a sprawling diaspora.
Diane Massam (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199654277
- eISBN:
- 9780191746048
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199654277.001.0001
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Semantics and Pragmatics, Syntax and Morphology
This volume explores the expression of the concepts count and mass in human language and probes the complex relation between seemingly incontrovertible aspects of meaning and their varied grammatical ...
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This volume explores the expression of the concepts count and mass in human language and probes the complex relation between seemingly incontrovertible aspects of meaning and their varied grammatical realizations across languages. In English, count nouns are those that can be counted and pluralized (two cats), whereas mass nouns cannot be, at least not without a change in meaning (two rices). The chapters in this volume explore the question of the cognitive and linguistic universality and variability of the concepts count and mass from philosophical, semantic, and morpho-syntactic points of view, touching also on issues in acquisition and processing. The volume also significantly contributes to our cross-linguistic knowledge, as it includes chapters with a focus on Blackfoot, Cantonese, Dagaare, English, Halkomelem, Lithuanian, Malagasy, Mandarin, Ojibwe, and Persian, as well as discussion of several other languages including Armenian, Hungarian, and Korean. The overall consensus of this volume is that while the general concepts of count and mass are available to all humans, forms of grammaticalization involving number, classifiers, and determiners play a key role in their linguistic treatment, and indeed in whether these concepts are grammatically expressed at all. This variation may be reflect the fact that count/mass is just one possible realization of a deeper and broader concept, itself related to the categories of nominal and verbal aspect.Less
This volume explores the expression of the concepts count and mass in human language and probes the complex relation between seemingly incontrovertible aspects of meaning and their varied grammatical realizations across languages. In English, count nouns are those that can be counted and pluralized (two cats), whereas mass nouns cannot be, at least not without a change in meaning (two rices). The chapters in this volume explore the question of the cognitive and linguistic universality and variability of the concepts count and mass from philosophical, semantic, and morpho-syntactic points of view, touching also on issues in acquisition and processing. The volume also significantly contributes to our cross-linguistic knowledge, as it includes chapters with a focus on Blackfoot, Cantonese, Dagaare, English, Halkomelem, Lithuanian, Malagasy, Mandarin, Ojibwe, and Persian, as well as discussion of several other languages including Armenian, Hungarian, and Korean. The overall consensus of this volume is that while the general concepts of count and mass are available to all humans, forms of grammaticalization involving number, classifiers, and determiners play a key role in their linguistic treatment, and indeed in whether these concepts are grammatically expressed at all. This variation may be reflect the fact that count/mass is just one possible realization of a deeper and broader concept, itself related to the categories of nominal and verbal aspect.
Denise Tse-Shang Tang
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789888083015
- eISBN:
- 9789882209855
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888083015.003.0002
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
Family interactions in living spaces can be perceived as specific practices in a spatial context that lay claim to how certain gender and sexual codings are formed, normalized, and regulated. Family ...
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Family interactions in living spaces can be perceived as specific practices in a spatial context that lay claim to how certain gender and sexual codings are formed, normalized, and regulated. Family and space are interconnected concepts that can be found in two colloquial Cantonese terms. The first term denotes a house, a physical dwelling and a family space. The second term points to family members and by implication, persons underneath one roof, which can be perceived as a form of cohabitation. This chapter discusses the complexities within family relations and how outside forces affect the ways respondents view their relations with family members in response to their sexualities. The issue of living together creates many difficulties for respondents when it comes to hiding their sexualities and, as a result, they come up with multiple coping strategies to live with family members.Less
Family interactions in living spaces can be perceived as specific practices in a spatial context that lay claim to how certain gender and sexual codings are formed, normalized, and regulated. Family and space are interconnected concepts that can be found in two colloquial Cantonese terms. The first term denotes a house, a physical dwelling and a family space. The second term points to family members and by implication, persons underneath one roof, which can be perceived as a form of cohabitation. This chapter discusses the complexities within family relations and how outside forces affect the ways respondents view their relations with family members in response to their sexualities. The issue of living together creates many difficulties for respondents when it comes to hiding their sexualities and, as a result, they come up with multiple coping strategies to live with family members.
Sucheng Chan
- Published in print:
- 1991
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195055108
- eISBN:
- 9780199854219
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195055108.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, Historiography
This chapter compares European and Asian immigration to the United States from 1820 to 1920, expanding understanding of immigration to include the Eastern Hemisphere. It establishes immigration as a ...
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This chapter compares European and Asian immigration to the United States from 1820 to 1920, expanding understanding of immigration to include the Eastern Hemisphere. It establishes immigration as a two-way process by focusing on both the United States and the “sending nations,” and thus directs attention to the Asian continent as a migration source. It synthesizes newly developing literature on China, Japan, India, and Korea that, like recent scholarship on European migrations, identifies advancing world capitalism and local political conditions as forces driving global migrations. Instead of the usual emphasis upon distinctive national or continental experiences, this chapter emphasizes similar originating causes for Asian, European, and Latin American emigration.Less
This chapter compares European and Asian immigration to the United States from 1820 to 1920, expanding understanding of immigration to include the Eastern Hemisphere. It establishes immigration as a two-way process by focusing on both the United States and the “sending nations,” and thus directs attention to the Asian continent as a migration source. It synthesizes newly developing literature on China, Japan, India, and Korea that, like recent scholarship on European migrations, identifies advancing world capitalism and local political conditions as forces driving global migrations. Instead of the usual emphasis upon distinctive national or continental experiences, this chapter emphasizes similar originating causes for Asian, European, and Latin American emigration.
Wai Yi P. Wong, Marjorie K. M. Chan, and Mary E. Beckman
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199249633
- eISBN:
- 9780191719349
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199249633.003.0010
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Phonetics / Phonology
This chapter introduces the C-ToBI (Cantonese Tones and Break Indices) conventions for modern Cantonese. These conventions are designed for use in annotating tone and juncture phenomena in spoken ...
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This chapter introduces the C-ToBI (Cantonese Tones and Break Indices) conventions for modern Cantonese. These conventions are designed for use in annotating tone and juncture phenomena in spoken Cantonese corpora. Tone and juncture phenomena of special interest for prosodic typology include: the rather strict monosyllabicity of Cantonese word forms; the absence of contrast between ‘stressed’ and reduced (‘neutral tone’) syllables; and the extremely dense syntagmatic tonal specification, including non-segmental boundary tones. All three characteristics set Cantonese apart from Mandarin Chinese. Another phenomenon of interest is that, despite the existence of syllable fusion in Cantonese, there seems to be no reliable categorical markings of intermediate levels of prosodic grouping between the syllable and the intonational phrase. The C-ToBI conventions proposed here are intended to facilitate the development of the large prosodically-annotated speech corpora that are needed to address these issues and the many questions concerning the prosodic structure of modern Cantonese.Less
This chapter introduces the C-ToBI (Cantonese Tones and Break Indices) conventions for modern Cantonese. These conventions are designed for use in annotating tone and juncture phenomena in spoken Cantonese corpora. Tone and juncture phenomena of special interest for prosodic typology include: the rather strict monosyllabicity of Cantonese word forms; the absence of contrast between ‘stressed’ and reduced (‘neutral tone’) syllables; and the extremely dense syntagmatic tonal specification, including non-segmental boundary tones. All three characteristics set Cantonese apart from Mandarin Chinese. Another phenomenon of interest is that, despite the existence of syllable fusion in Cantonese, there seems to be no reliable categorical markings of intermediate levels of prosodic grouping between the syllable and the intonational phrase. The C-ToBI conventions proposed here are intended to facilitate the development of the large prosodically-annotated speech corpora that are needed to address these issues and the many questions concerning the prosodic structure of modern Cantonese.
Kam Louie (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789888028412
- eISBN:
- 9789882206960
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888028412.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
Hong Kong as a world city draws on a rich variety of foundational “texts” in film, fiction, architecture, and other forms of visual culture. The city has been a cultural fault-line for centuries—a ...
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Hong Kong as a world city draws on a rich variety of foundational “texts” in film, fiction, architecture, and other forms of visual culture. The city has been a cultural fault-line for centuries—a translation space where Chinese-ness is interpreted for “Westerners” and Western-ness is translated for Chinese. Though constantly refreshed by its Chinese roots and global influences, this hub of Cantonese culture has flourished along cosmopolitan lines to build a modern, outward-looking character. Successfully managing this perpetual instability helps make Hong Kong a postmodern stepping-stone city, and helps make its citizens such prosperous and durable survivors in the modern world. Many of the chapters in this volume discuss the tensions of English, closely associated with a colonial past, yet undeniably the key to Hong Kong's future. Hong Kong provides a vital point of contact, where cultures truly meet and a cosmopolitan traveler can feel at home and leave a sturdy mark.Less
Hong Kong as a world city draws on a rich variety of foundational “texts” in film, fiction, architecture, and other forms of visual culture. The city has been a cultural fault-line for centuries—a translation space where Chinese-ness is interpreted for “Westerners” and Western-ness is translated for Chinese. Though constantly refreshed by its Chinese roots and global influences, this hub of Cantonese culture has flourished along cosmopolitan lines to build a modern, outward-looking character. Successfully managing this perpetual instability helps make Hong Kong a postmodern stepping-stone city, and helps make its citizens such prosperous and durable survivors in the modern world. Many of the chapters in this volume discuss the tensions of English, closely associated with a colonial past, yet undeniably the key to Hong Kong's future. Hong Kong provides a vital point of contact, where cultures truly meet and a cosmopolitan traveler can feel at home and leave a sturdy mark.
Kam Louie (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789888028412
- eISBN:
- 9789882206960
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888028412.003.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
In order to explore the development of Hong Kong's cultural scene under the “one country, two systems” framework, this book has gathered together a group of world experts on Hong Kong cultural ...
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In order to explore the development of Hong Kong's cultural scene under the “one country, two systems” framework, this book has gathered together a group of world experts on Hong Kong cultural matters to contribute chapters related to their expertise on Hong Kong culture. Hong Kong has been a cultural fault-line for centuries—first, as a colonial space wrested from the Qing empire by Britain and second, as a prize won back by the government of the People's Republic of China. In this shaky geopolitical terrain, Hong Kong found its firm cultural ground and became a translation space where Chinese-ness was interpreted for “Westerners” and Western-ness was translated for Chinese. As a cultural hub Cantonese culture also flourished along new cosmopolitan lines to build a modern, outward-looking character. In combination, each of these interactions worked together to produce Hong Kong's unique culture.Less
In order to explore the development of Hong Kong's cultural scene under the “one country, two systems” framework, this book has gathered together a group of world experts on Hong Kong cultural matters to contribute chapters related to their expertise on Hong Kong culture. Hong Kong has been a cultural fault-line for centuries—first, as a colonial space wrested from the Qing empire by Britain and second, as a prize won back by the government of the People's Republic of China. In this shaky geopolitical terrain, Hong Kong found its firm cultural ground and became a translation space where Chinese-ness was interpreted for “Westerners” and Western-ness was translated for Chinese. As a cultural hub Cantonese culture also flourished along new cosmopolitan lines to build a modern, outward-looking character. In combination, each of these interactions worked together to produce Hong Kong's unique culture.
Marjorie Topley
Jean DeBernardi (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789888028146
- eISBN:
- 9789882206663
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888028146.003.0002
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
This chapter deals with some of the rites performed by the Cantonese in Singapore with the object of overcoming illness and misfortune. The rites selected for description are in all cases specific to ...
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This chapter deals with some of the rites performed by the Cantonese in Singapore with the object of overcoming illness and misfortune. The rites selected for description are in all cases specific to the sufferer, and are enacted only when help is required. The term occasional is used here in this sense, to distinguish them from festival rites and the type of performances of a spirit medium which take place regularly and are attended by many people. They also differ from other rites in that they can be performed alone by the person who hopes to benefit from them, or who wishes to benefit some other person in whose welfare they are interested. Even when the rites to be described are performed by a priest, the person paying for the rite is an active participant.Less
This chapter deals with some of the rites performed by the Cantonese in Singapore with the object of overcoming illness and misfortune. The rites selected for description are in all cases specific to the sufferer, and are enacted only when help is required. The term occasional is used here in this sense, to distinguish them from festival rites and the type of performances of a spirit medium which take place regularly and are attended by many people. They also differ from other rites in that they can be performed alone by the person who hopes to benefit from them, or who wishes to benefit some other person in whose welfare they are interested. Even when the rites to be described are performed by a priest, the person paying for the rite is an active participant.
Elizabeth Sinn
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789622099180
- eISBN:
- 9789882206984
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789622099180.003.0002
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
The volume starts with the conceptual assumption that Hong Kong as a unit of analysis may not be treated as a physically bounded crucible that contains a particular population at a given time. ...
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The volume starts with the conceptual assumption that Hong Kong as a unit of analysis may not be treated as a physically bounded crucible that contains a particular population at a given time. Historically, as this chapter stresses, Hong Kong has thrived as “a space of flow”. Various populations drawn from the Chinese diaspora became engaged with the place and its evolving institutions. The discussion delineates when Hong Kong became a free port under British rule in 1842 and how it joined a number of global processes. In the decades that followed, it became involved in network building. Other developments followed. Hong Kong, became the primary channel for Chinese remittance from overseas and a hub for the California trade in a wide range of goods, from medicine and joss sticks, to prepared opium and Cantonese opera.Less
The volume starts with the conceptual assumption that Hong Kong as a unit of analysis may not be treated as a physically bounded crucible that contains a particular population at a given time. Historically, as this chapter stresses, Hong Kong has thrived as “a space of flow”. Various populations drawn from the Chinese diaspora became engaged with the place and its evolving institutions. The discussion delineates when Hong Kong became a free port under British rule in 1842 and how it joined a number of global processes. In the decades that followed, it became involved in network building. Other developments followed. Hong Kong, became the primary channel for Chinese remittance from overseas and a hub for the California trade in a wide range of goods, from medicine and joss sticks, to prepared opium and Cantonese opera.
May Bo Ching
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789622099180
- eISBN:
- 9789882206984
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789622099180.003.0003
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
To evaluate Hong Kong's positioning for its residents, past and present, a regional cultural context is essential. By the 1920s, established Guangdong merchants in Shanghai patronized their native ...
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To evaluate Hong Kong's positioning for its residents, past and present, a regional cultural context is essential. By the 1920s, established Guangdong merchants in Shanghai patronized their native place activities through their regional associations, martial arts and athletic societies, theaters, and department stores. It was under these circumstances in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong, in a spirit of openness and adventure, that instrumental music, songs, and operas identified as Cantonese flourished. New artistic talents, supported by cosmopolitan mercantile interests, absorbed fresh nutrients from Western and other regional traditions. These cultural energies gave the region a competitive edge as China's window to the world. It allowed Hong Kong residents and business interests a hinterland far beyond Hong Kong's physical and administrative boundaries. Residents strategically used different cultural codes of conduct for economic survival and social advancement.Less
To evaluate Hong Kong's positioning for its residents, past and present, a regional cultural context is essential. By the 1920s, established Guangdong merchants in Shanghai patronized their native place activities through their regional associations, martial arts and athletic societies, theaters, and department stores. It was under these circumstances in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong, in a spirit of openness and adventure, that instrumental music, songs, and operas identified as Cantonese flourished. New artistic talents, supported by cosmopolitan mercantile interests, absorbed fresh nutrients from Western and other regional traditions. These cultural energies gave the region a competitive edge as China's window to the world. It allowed Hong Kong residents and business interests a hinterland far beyond Hong Kong's physical and administrative boundaries. Residents strategically used different cultural codes of conduct for economic survival and social advancement.
Marjorie Topley
Jean DeBernardi (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789888028146
- eISBN:
- 9789882206663
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888028146.003.0015
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
This chapter examines the role of rites performed by people on their own in the religion of the Cantonese in urban Hong Kong today. It distinguishes two kinds of individual performances: “regular” ...
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This chapter examines the role of rites performed by people on their own in the religion of the Cantonese in urban Hong Kong today. It distinguishes two kinds of individual performances: “regular” rites and “occasional” rites. Occasional rites deal with more specific problems and are performed as such problems arise. The more specific the circumstances, the more knowledge of spiritual matters may be needed. Material adjuncts are tailored more to particular needs and are sometimes “custom made” for individual needs. The chapter gives brief descriptions of some ritual materials in common use and outline some of the most popular rites in urban Hong Kong, but the chapter's main discussion is of the meaning and purpose of such ritual: what puts it “into motion” so to speak, and what it is meant to “do” for the performer.Less
This chapter examines the role of rites performed by people on their own in the religion of the Cantonese in urban Hong Kong today. It distinguishes two kinds of individual performances: “regular” rites and “occasional” rites. Occasional rites deal with more specific problems and are performed as such problems arise. The more specific the circumstances, the more knowledge of spiritual matters may be needed. Material adjuncts are tailored more to particular needs and are sometimes “custom made” for individual needs. The chapter gives brief descriptions of some ritual materials in common use and outline some of the most popular rites in urban Hong Kong, but the chapter's main discussion is of the meaning and purpose of such ritual: what puts it “into motion” so to speak, and what it is meant to “do” for the performer.
M. A. Aldrich
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789622097773
- eISBN:
- 9789882207585
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789622097773.003.0058
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
Peking hosts a magnificent selection of regional Chinese restaurants. This aspect alone makes the trip worthwhile. Food has occupied a central role in Chinese life for thousands of years, as can be ...
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Peking hosts a magnificent selection of regional Chinese restaurants. This aspect alone makes the trip worthwhile. Food has occupied a central role in Chinese life for thousands of years, as can be gleaned by the role of serving various dishes to the spirits of the deceased. It is said that Chinese food reflects the country's tumultuous history. Nearly everyone coming to China will already have visited a Chinese restaurant in their home country. There is a debate among Chinese epicures about the precise number of regional Chinese cuisines. Of these Shan Dong style dishes, perhaps the most famous is Peking duck. The recommended Shan Dong restaurants, Chinese Muslim restaurants, Fu Jian/Zhe Jiang restaurants, Cantonese restaurants, Si Chuan restaurants, and other regional restaurants are presented.Less
Peking hosts a magnificent selection of regional Chinese restaurants. This aspect alone makes the trip worthwhile. Food has occupied a central role in Chinese life for thousands of years, as can be gleaned by the role of serving various dishes to the spirits of the deceased. It is said that Chinese food reflects the country's tumultuous history. Nearly everyone coming to China will already have visited a Chinese restaurant in their home country. There is a debate among Chinese epicures about the precise number of regional Chinese cuisines. Of these Shan Dong style dishes, perhaps the most famous is Peking duck. The recommended Shan Dong restaurants, Chinese Muslim restaurants, Fu Jian/Zhe Jiang restaurants, Cantonese restaurants, Si Chuan restaurants, and other regional restaurants are presented.
John Strickland
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789888028382
- eISBN:
- 9789882207400
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888028382.003.0058
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
This chapter provides the administrative officers' reports on visits/trips made to the Yung Shu Wan and the Lo So Shing Groups of Villages in Lamma Island. It reports that Lamma Island is ...
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This chapter provides the administrative officers' reports on visits/trips made to the Yung Shu Wan and the Lo So Shing Groups of Villages in Lamma Island. It reports that Lamma Island is overwhelmingly Cantonese with a few Hakka at Yung Shu Wan and a handful of refugees at Sokkuwan. It further reports that although there are some poor villages (Lo Tik Wan and Luk Chau), a number of which have been hit hard by the restrictions imposed on trade under the United Nations Resolution of May 1951 (Tung O and Yung Shu Ha), this island can be considered as the most prosperous part of the Southern District. It observes that the population is about 1,640, of whom 800 are fisherfolk permanently based in Sokkuwan.Less
This chapter provides the administrative officers' reports on visits/trips made to the Yung Shu Wan and the Lo So Shing Groups of Villages in Lamma Island. It reports that Lamma Island is overwhelmingly Cantonese with a few Hakka at Yung Shu Wan and a handful of refugees at Sokkuwan. It further reports that although there are some poor villages (Lo Tik Wan and Luk Chau), a number of which have been hit hard by the restrictions imposed on trade under the United Nations Resolution of May 1951 (Tung O and Yung Shu Ha), this island can be considered as the most prosperous part of the Southern District. It observes that the population is about 1,640, of whom 800 are fisherfolk permanently based in Sokkuwan.
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780804772266
- eISBN:
- 9780804781763
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804772266.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
This chapter reviews the formation of the famous Cantonese food culture and the emergence of preferences for certain varieties of rice, mainly Southeast Asian varieties. Cantonese consumer demands ...
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This chapter reviews the formation of the famous Cantonese food culture and the emergence of preferences for certain varieties of rice, mainly Southeast Asian varieties. Cantonese consumer demands resulted in the blossoming of a worldwide rice trade. It is also noted that Canton depended on trade with Hong Kong for its rice supply and Hong Kong also depended on the sustainable market in Canton. Hong Kong had more effect on Canton's rice supply than Shanghai had. Traditional Chinese banks also complemented the success of business enterprise in the rice trade. Human and cultural factors also had a profound effect on the flourishing of the foreign-rice trade. Moreover, it is shown that in the 12920s Silk Sprout rice surpassed all else in Canton's rice-consuming culture. Although the Cantonese provisioning networks met consumer demands, this does not mean that Canton was completely immune to chronic rice shortages.Less
This chapter reviews the formation of the famous Cantonese food culture and the emergence of preferences for certain varieties of rice, mainly Southeast Asian varieties. Cantonese consumer demands resulted in the blossoming of a worldwide rice trade. It is also noted that Canton depended on trade with Hong Kong for its rice supply and Hong Kong also depended on the sustainable market in Canton. Hong Kong had more effect on Canton's rice supply than Shanghai had. Traditional Chinese banks also complemented the success of business enterprise in the rice trade. Human and cultural factors also had a profound effect on the flourishing of the foreign-rice trade. Moreover, it is shown that in the 12920s Silk Sprout rice surpassed all else in Canton's rice-consuming culture. Although the Cantonese provisioning networks met consumer demands, this does not mean that Canton was completely immune to chronic rice shortages.
Maria Kar-wing Mok
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9789888390939
- eISBN:
- 9789888455171
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888390939.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
Most of the traders in the foreign community at Canton were capable businessmen and tough negotiators with specific and precise demands, and consequently not easy to please. But even in this ...
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Most of the traders in the foreign community at Canton were capable businessmen and tough negotiators with specific and precise demands, and consequently not easy to please. But even in this environment, many of them greatly enjoyed the local shopping experience and held both the service and the products provided in high regard.
The shopping alleys in the area of the factories and the streets on the periphery made the southwestern suburb of Canton where they were located one of the greatest shopping centres in Asia. The shops offered a staggering selection of Chinese goods that were made exclusively for a western clientele and were available only in Canton. In addition, they were a model of efficiency. The shopkeepers, recognizing the value of awe-inspiring displays, competitive pricing, fine craftsmanship, and customer service, employed marketing strategies that dazzled the western traders. Shops were often a combination of a shop and a workshop, and a number of them offered visitors behind-the-scene demonstrations of the production process. Such tours were more than entertainment; they were undoubtedly given to entice customers to make purchases. While negative reports of the shopping experience exist, they were the exception rather than the rule. The many accounts that exist, regardless of the nationality of the writer, present a very positive view of traders’ shopping experience in China and show a high regard for Cantonese shopkeepers.Less
Most of the traders in the foreign community at Canton were capable businessmen and tough negotiators with specific and precise demands, and consequently not easy to please. But even in this environment, many of them greatly enjoyed the local shopping experience and held both the service and the products provided in high regard.
The shopping alleys in the area of the factories and the streets on the periphery made the southwestern suburb of Canton where they were located one of the greatest shopping centres in Asia. The shops offered a staggering selection of Chinese goods that were made exclusively for a western clientele and were available only in Canton. In addition, they were a model of efficiency. The shopkeepers, recognizing the value of awe-inspiring displays, competitive pricing, fine craftsmanship, and customer service, employed marketing strategies that dazzled the western traders. Shops were often a combination of a shop and a workshop, and a number of them offered visitors behind-the-scene demonstrations of the production process. Such tours were more than entertainment; they were undoubtedly given to entice customers to make purchases. While negative reports of the shopping experience exist, they were the exception rather than the rule. The many accounts that exist, regardless of the nationality of the writer, present a very positive view of traders’ shopping experience in China and show a high regard for Cantonese shopkeepers.
