Culture and Art

Zhu Dake
Translated by chong

Notes: This is an interview of Zhu Dake, a cultural critic in Shanghai. His analysis of Zhang Yimou's film is not execellent but inspiring, particularly his comments on contemporary Chinese culture.

The scene (in Curse of the Golden Flower) I found most impressing is that of a long line of palace maids who showed off their tightly tied breasts. Many audience felt that they walked into a farm full of milk cows. According to ordinary people's opinion, there are three criteria for a popular film. The first one is erotica. The second one is violence. The final one is celebrity's privacy. With any one of them, you could make a big hit. With two, you could make a very big hit. With three, you could create a blockbuster. Curse of the Golden Flower has all of them. Without any doubt, many people are crazy about it. You see. First, it provides a lot of breasts to meet the requirement of "erotica".

The whole world is celebrating Valentine's Day, news like million dollars chocolate diamond hit the most popular international news, and the blogosphere is resonating the Love packaging consumption day.

Not many are aware that today is also the V-day, V stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina.

DISNEY Refuses Responsibility for 800 Laid-Off Chinese Workers Students and labor groups protested outside the DISNEY Hong Kong office

From SACOM

Shenzhen-based Huang Xing Factory used to receive up to 80% of its orders from DISNEY and manufactured branded merchandise such as Mickey key chains and purses. It however had lost a substantial amount of the orders from DISNEY soon after SACOM drew the attention of mass media to sweatshop labor at Huang Xing in September 2006.

In Hong Kong, there is the anti-demolition of Star Ferry Pier and Queen's Pier; while in Macau, the campaign to protect Guia Lighthouse begins to emerge.

The Guia Complex, which includes a historical military fort, chapel and lighthouse, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The fort and chapel were constructed between 1622 and 1638. The lighthouse was constructed between 1864 and 1865, the first western style lighthouse in east Asia or on the China coast.

In order to construct a highway (P2) along the coast, connecting Wanchai and Central, the Hong Kong government decided to demolish Star Ferry and Queen's Pier - the two most famous tourist spots in Hong Kong. Since Monday (November 27), the pier is being torn down bit by bit.

Architects, conservationists and cultural activists are now launching public campaigns to rescue the pier. This morning (Nov 30, 2006), a group of citizens climbed up the clock tower, rang the bell and put up a banner, calling for a stop in demolition. (See: photos) A mass mobilization will take place at noon time on 3 of December, 2006. The demonstrators will march from Old star ferry pier to government building and have a cultural night outside Star ferry pier.

In Umberto Eco's novel, The Name of the Rose, the blind librarian Jorge committed a series of murders in order to hide the secret of Aristotle's Book of Comedy, Book II of the Poetics because he regarded laughter as the most threatening heresy. The story shows the fragility of authority / truth.

Last year a shop in Mongkok, the most populous shopping area of Hong Kong, was taken over by a new tenant, a Korean cosmetic company. It afforded a rental as high as HK$ 980,000, more than 50% higher than the previous one. Some believed that Hong Kong Disneyland would create an economic booming, particularly in retailing sector, by attracting a huge number of mainland Chinese tourists. However, less than one year later, it withdrew from Mongkok and terminated the leasehold.