Chinese Pop Culture 101

Aftershock Causes Ripples at Udine Festival

2011-05-14T23:51:00.005+10:00

In the historical northern Italian city of Udine, they hold the annual Udine Far East Film Festival, dubbed "the film festival for popular Asian cinema". Now in its thirteenth year, the festival goes from strength to strength, with a record number of screenings and audience numbers this year.

This year's Audience Award - the Golden Mulberry - went to the Chinese production, Aftershock, the earthquake drama directed by Feng Xiaogang. The award comes just a couple of weeks after it was named best film at the prestigious Beijing Student Film Festival. For a short time it was the highest-grossing locally-made film ever in China, until it was surpassed at the box office by Let the Bullets Fly this year.

China also took the silver medal in the Audience Awards, with Zhang Yimou's coming-of-age drama Under the Hawthorn Tree set during the Cultural Revolution. Zhang used a cast of unknowns - both Zhou Dongyu and Shawn Dou who played the film's romantic leads were making their acting debuts.

The Festival also announced its inaugural Golden Mulberry Lifetime Achievement Award, with the honour going to a legend of Hong Kong comedy, Michael Hui (许冠文, pinyin: Xǔ Guànwén - pictured right). Hui began his career in the entertainment industry back in 1968 as a TV host, including creating and hosting the popular television variety show Hui Brothers' Show with his two younger brothers. He effortlessly made the transition from small screen to big screen with his film debut, The Warlord in 1972. That film went on to become the number one box office success that year in Hong Kong. Other box office smashes followed: Games Gamblers Play in 1974, The Private Eyes in 1976, and Securities Unlimited in 1981, all of which he also wrote and directed as well as starred in. Securities Unlimited won him the Best Actor award at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

In those earlier films he usually starred alongside his younger brothers, but in the 80s he went solo, so to speak, and created some of Hong Kong's finest satirical comedies, including Inspector Chocolate (1986), Chicken and Duck Talk (1988), Front Page (1990), The Magic Touch (1992) and Always on My Mind (1994). Front Page earned him another Best Actor award, this time from the Hong Kong Artists Guild. The 68 year-old last appeared in a film in 2006, co-starring with Jackie Chan in Rob-B-Hood. He still occasionally performs stand-up comedy shows, most recently selling out the Hong Kong Coliseum in February this year. He will bring his stand-up show to Malaysia later this month.

Jerry Yan Voted No.1 Dream Lover

2011-05-05T12:16:00.004+10:00

Taiwan idol Jerry Yan (言承旭, pinyin: Yán Chéngxù), star of the hit idol drama Meteor Garden and member of the boy band F4, came out tops in an online poll asking "Who is your dream lover?" amongst male idol stars. The poll, conducted by Yahoo! Taiwan, was open for one week in the second half of April, and attracted over 55,000 votes. Yan was the clear winner with 12,137 votes, ahead of pop superstar Show Luo (罗志祥, pinyin: Luó Zhīxiáng - 9,871 votes) and former male model turned actor and singer Ming Dao (明道 - 9,765 votes).

Yan was last seen in a TV series almost a year ago in Down With Love, and hasn't released an album since January 2010. However he remains in the spotlight through his public appearances and charity work. The 34 year-old came to fame with his starring role in the Taiwanese romantic drama Meteor Garden in 2001. The series was an adaptation of the Japanese managa series Boys Over Flowers - both of which were squarely aimed at a target audience of teenage girls. Meteor Garden was a massive hit, and resulted in two sequels, Meteor Rain and Meteor Garden 2. It also spawned the boy band F4, made up of Yan and the three other main male cast members.

F4 went on to release two studio albums: Meteor Garden in 2002 and Fantasy in 2003. Both records were the biggest-selling Mandarin albums of the year. The group went into hiatus for several years while band members pursued individual projects, but released a third album in 2007. Yan has also released three solo albums. Since Meteor Garden he has also appeared in three further hit series - The Hospital in 2006, Hot Shot in 2008, and last year's Down With Love.

Original sources (both in Chinese): the Sina entertainment pages and this Macao Daily article.

A-Mei's R U Watching? At Number 1

2011-05-03T12:09:00.006+10:00

After almost two years between records, Taiwan pop superstar A-Mei (阿妹) has released a new album, and it went straight to the top of the G-Music album charts. R U Watching? (你在看我吗) is her first release since the Golden Melody-winning album AMIT, released back in June 2009, and like its predecessor went to number one on the charts in its first week of release. According to G-Music it had 28.92 percent of album sales in the week 22 to 28 April, displacing F.I.R's Atlantis who dropped to second spot.

R U Watching? is A-Mei's fifteenth studio album, and also commemorates fifteen years in showbusiness. The 38 year old aboriginal Taiwanese, who is also known by her full name Chang Hui-mei (张惠妹; pinyin: Zhāng Huìmèi), had a number one hit with her first ever single back in 1996, and hasn't looked back since. Her distinctive sultry voice and energetic stage presence made her a star not just in Taiwan but on the mainland as well. Even after singing at the inauguration of pro-independence President Chen Shui-bian in 2000 - a political indiscretion in the eyes of the mainland government that earned her a one year performance ban - her return to the mainland the following year attracted huge crowds of admiring (and forgiving) fans. For a period of time back then she seemed to act as a lightning rod for tensions between Taiwan and the mainland, although A-Mei herself insisted that she had no interest in the political squabbling.

A-Mei is twice winner of the Golden Melody award for Best Female Artist, she has the second biggest-selling album ever in Taiwan (Bad Boy, released in 1997 and sold over 1.38 million copies), has appeared on the cover of Newsweek, and was named one of Time Magazine's Asian Heroes. Although essentially a pop singer, she has never been afraid to incorporate new musical styles, sometimes at the expense of commercial popularity.

R U Watching? contains ten tracks, led off by the first single, What Time Is It Already? (都什么时候了). What Time Is It Already? is one of five ballads on the album, while the title track is a more up-tempo dance track. A-Mei herself co-produced the album, and five of the album's tracks were written by renowned Hong Kong lyricist Albert Leung (林夕). A review of the album can be found here at the jpopasia website.

April Flavour of the Month: Law Lok-lam

2011-05-02T21:19:00.005+10:00

Law Lok-lam feels a death scene coming on

Prolific Hong Kong television actor Law Lok-lam (罗乐林, pinyin: Luó Lèlín) caused great alarm amongst those of a superstitious nature earlier this month. In the space of just 24 hours, five different characters he was portraying in various TV series all died. It's unusual enough for an actor to have five different series running concurrently, but to die in all of them, more or less at the same time, is almost spooky. If Oscar Wilde thought one death a misfortune, and two carelessness, what would he have made of Law's situation?

Law's first death, as the founder of the Ming Dynasty, the Hongwu Emperor, was a peaceful one at least - shuffling off this mortal coil via old age in the TVB series Relic of an Emissary. An hour later, he was dead again, this time violently beaten to death in the martial arts series Grace Under Fire. An off-screen death followed a few hours later, in the repeat series Police Station No.7. That evening, in another repeated series, Face to Fate, he kicked the bucket for the fourth time, vomiting blood in the process. Virtues of Harmony 2 is a TVB 2002 sitcom getting a repeat airing, but it was no laughing matter for Law when again the character he was playing passed away - demise number five.

The run of bad luck experienced by Law's characters made international news, and some wits on the net quickly composed a song about him: 同是天涯罗乐林. (The title is basically a play on words of a famous Chinese proverb). There was also criticism from viewers directed at the television station, TVB, or at least their programming department. Wasn't it a bit tasteless to have an actor repeatedly dying, not to mention tempting fate? Law himself, a modest retiring sort who normally shuns the glare of publicity, was non-plussed by the whole thing. "Why would dying in a drama matter? It's not for real" he was quoted as saying in reaction to the sudden media attention.

Law Lok-lam has been acting since 1971, first as an extra before graduating to supporting roles. The high school drop-out has appeared in countless TV series in his forty year career, many of them as villains. Since 1990 he has been acting exclusively in TVB series, and in that 21 year period he would have been in close to a hundred shows. Before that he was with the other major Hong Kong network, ATV, from 1989 to 1999, appearing in almost fifty series.

For a great overview of the actor and his career, the entertainment magazine Mingpao has an excellent in-depth article (BTW brilliantly translated by llwy12, one of the hardworking folk at the AsianFanatics Forum).

Beijing Students' Honour Aftershock

2011-04-29T12:04:00.003+10:00

The 18th Annual Beijing Student Film Festival Awards were held on the 28th of April, with Feng Xiaogang's Aftershock (唐山大地震) taking home the main prize of Best Film. The epic drama that starts with the destructive Tangshan earthquake of 1976 and concludes with the 2008 Sichuan earthquake is the second highest grossing mainland Chinese film of all time. However, apart from the top prize at the Australian-held Asia-Pacific Screen Awards, this is its first Best Film award at a major awards ceremony.

The Best Actor trophy was awarded to local star Ge You ((葛优)) for his performance as a conscientious doctor in Chen Kaige's Sacrifice. The veteran actor, who recently turned 54, had a stand-out year in 2010, also appearing in the box office hits, Let the Bullets Fly and If You Are the One 2.

Best Actress was won by emerging superstar Fan Bingbing (范冰冰) for Buddha Mountain. Her performance as a teenager who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a retired Peking Opera singer had earlier this year won her Best Actress at the Tokyo Film Festival. Buddha Mountain was produced by Fan's own production company, Fan Bingbing Workshop, which she established in 2007.

Best Director award went to arthouse favourite Huo Jianqi (霍建起) for White Flower in Autumn, a biopic of one of the earliest leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, Qu Qiubai. A Jury Prize went to the film Biluo Snow (碧罗雪山). Directed by Liu Jie (best known as the cinematographer of Beijing Bicycle), the film also won the Jury Prize at the Shanghai International Film Festival last year. I know little about the film except that it employs a cast of non-professional actors.

The Festival also gave awards in the Most Popular categories. Wen Zhang (文章) won Most Popular Actor for his performance as the autistic son in the moving drama Ocean Heaven. Yao Chen (姚晨), China's most followed micro-blogger, was named Most Popular Actress, on the back of her performance in the television martial arts sitcom, My Own Swordsman. Feng Xiaogang (冯小刚), director of Aftershock, won Most Popular Director.

Television awards were also presented at the ceremony. Best TV Film Award went to the controversial Vegetate (我是植物人), an expose of shady practices in the pharmaceutical industry. Li Naiwen (李乃文), who played a paparazzo turned investigative journalist in the same show, was named Best TV Actor. Best TV Actress was awarded to Wang Liwen (王黎雯) for Moving Hearts.

The full list of winners can be found here - sorry, Chinese only.

18th Oriental Billboard Awards

2011-04-28T09:59:00.005+10:00

Some old news, from a month ago. The Oriental Billboard Awards (东方风云榜, sometimes referred to as the Eastern Billboard Awards) have a place in Mandopop musical history, being the first ever pop music awards ceremony in mainland China. The original awards ceremony was held back in 1993, organised by the Shanghai Media Group through leading radio station FM101. On March 19 this year, the Oriental Billboard Awards were held for the 18th time in Shanghai with many stars of the music scene in attendance.

Best Female Singer, for the third year in a row, was Jane Zhang (张靓颖, pinyin: Zhāng Liàngyǐng - pictured left, courtesy of iEasy.tv), establishing herself as a genuine Mandopop superstar. The 26 year-old Sichuan native is a former runner-up in the popular TV talent show Super Girl. Her performance earned her a recording contract with one of China's leading labels, Huayi Brothers Music and her debut EP was released in 2006. She has gone on to record four studio albums, switching to the Universal Music label to record her most recent one, and has had six number one singles. She's best-known in the West for her appearance in 2009 on Opray Winfrey's The World's Got Talent show.

Best Male Singer went to Li Jian (李健), who was once one-half of the popular mainland singing duo, Shui Mu Nian Hua (水木年华) which he formed with a fellow classmate from the prestigious Tsinghua University in 2001. Shui Mu Nian Hua were an immediate success, scooping most of the Best Newcomer awards on the mainland, but after just two albums Li Jian left to embark on a solo career. A talented guitarist, the Harbin-born 36 year-old also writes most of his own songs. He had one of his biggest hits last year with the song Legend (传奇), written several years ago but revived by Faye Wong at last year's CCTV Spring Festival Gala.

The Best Band award was given to Mirror Band (反光镜), the veteran rock band who started off in the Beijing bar scene back in 1997. The three-member Brit-rock influenced band are best-known for their live performances, and have toured all over China as well as the US and Europe. Best Group award went to Milk@Coffee (牛奶咖啡), a duo from Beijing made up of singer-guitarist Kiki (Yan Fu) and keyboard player and producer Ge Fei. They released their debut album in 2005 and have gone on to record a further three albums. Both Mirror Band and Milk@Coffee are first time recipients of an Oriental Billboard Award.

The Oriental Billboard Awards also handed out gongs to non-Mainland artists. This year the Hong Kong award for Most Popular Singer went to Khalil Fong (方大同) and the Taiwan award was given to Kenji Wu (吴克群). There were also awards for Most Popular Singapore Artist (Tanya Chua, 蔡健雅), Most Popular Malaysian Artist (Michael Wong, 光良), and Most Popular Mainland Artist to 29 year-old singer Chen Chusheng (陈楚生), a former winner of a TV singing contest.

There were Asian Singer Awards to Hong Kong's Eason Chan ((陈奕迅) and mainland diva Han Hong (韩红), a Singer of the Year award to Taiwan's "queen of live music" Tiger Huang (黄小琥), and Annual All-Round Entertainer which went to the mainland singer-dancer Han Geng (韩庚).

The Awards also announced their Top Ten Songs of 2010 (in no particular order):

My Logo - Han Geng (韩庚)
23 Seconds, 32 Years (23秒，32年) - Shang Wenjie (尚雯婕)
Special (特别) - Isabelle Huang (黄龄)
How Wonderful (多好啊) - Yu Quan (羽泉)、Xiao Juan (小娟)、Sitar Tan (谭维维)
Singing Stone (石头在歌唱) - Wang Feng (汪峰) and Sitar Tan (谭维维)
Fu Good - Della Ding (丁当)
Lucky Star (幸运星) - Milk@Coffee (牛奶咖啡)
Legend (传奇) - Li Jian (李健)
'Love of the Hawthorn Tree' Theme Song (山楂花) - Chen Chusheng (陈楚生)
If This Is Love (如果这就是爱情) - Jane Zhang (张靓颖)

The full list of winners can be found here, but only in Chinese.

F.I.R Rock Their Way to Top of G-Music Charts

2011-04-24T11:59:00.007+10:00

Rock-pop band F.I.R (飞儿乐团; pinyin: Fēiér Yuètuán) head the G-Music Album Charts this week with their new album Atlantis - Chapter 6 (第六章 - 亚特兰提斯). Atlantis ends The Next Me by Aaron Yan's three-week stay at the top position, going straight to number one in its first week of release. According to G-Music it had 32 percent of Mandarin-language album sales for the week 15 to 21 April.

Atlantis is F.I.R's sixth studio album - hence the Chapter 6 subtitle - and the fifth F.I.R album to hold the top spot on the charts. The three-member group is made up lead singer Faye Chan, keyboard player and the band's producer, Ian Chen, and lead guitarist Real Huang. They formed back in 2004 as a studio band, gained fame when they performed the theme song of a hit Taiwan TV series, and followed up with a number one album on debut. The next year, 2005, they were awarded Best New Artist at the Golden Melody Awards.

Atlantis contains ten tracks, and its first release is the title track. Parts of it sound a little Celtic-influenced, and it's accompanied by an impressive music video that emphasises the underwater theme of Atlantis. The second single, Let Love Be Reborn (让爱重生) is more mellow-sounding but still rocks along.

Lin Chi-ling Has The (Almost) Perfect Face

2011-04-22T20:19:00.009+10:00

According to local media reports, Taiwanese plastic surgeons have determined that the face of supermodel/actress Lin Chi-ling (林志玲; pinyin: Lín Zhìlíng) is close to perfection. The finding was reached by looking at the symmetry of women's faces, including the ratio of spacing between the eyes. The study also surveyed one thousand female plastic surgeon customers, and found that they regarded celebrities with the most symmetrical faces as having "the perfect face".

Lin Chi-ling was measured as having a ratio of 1:1.2:1 or almost perfection. So on this issue at least men and women are in agreement. While women admire her facial features, men have voted her sexiest women in the FHM Sexiest Women poll for the last four years. Men also admired another of Lin Chi-ling's features: she was voted in a 2009 online poll as "the Queen of Beautiful Breasts".

Receiving honourable mention were actress and singer Vivian Hsu (徐若瑄; pinyin: Xú Ruòxuān) and socialite Tsai Yi-shan (蔡依珊). Although Hsu (pictured right) started out as a topless model and soft-core porn actress she has for many years now been a mainstream star. She is particularly popular in Japan where she sang in the popular-for-a-time dance band Black Biscuit. Now 36 years old, Hsu still retains her baby face looks which have helped endorse products like Biotherm body care products.

Tsai Yi-shan (left) comes from a wealthy family (her father is a shipping magnate, her mother a restrateur), and became even wealthier when she married businessman and KMT political heavyweight Sean Lien in 2006. The 31 year-old mother of two spent several years studying in Canada and the United States. Although Tsai claims she doesn't like social events, she is a favourite of paparazzi because of her stylish fashion sense and delicate features.

Although Lin Chi-ling's face was rated the closest to perfection amongst Taiwanese stars, Angeline Jolie rated even higher. Taiwan's plastic surgeons gave her a perfect 1:1:1 ratio - clearly they like bee-sting lips. The original media report can be found here, but in Chinese only.

Gallants Victory at Hong Kong Film Awards

2011-04-21T16:36:00.006+10:00

In a David and Goliath battle, the low budget kung fu comedy Gallants ((打擂台, pinyin: Dǎ Lèi Tái) was named Best Film at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards, ahead of its big budget rival, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (狄仁杰之通天帝国). An ode to the golden days of Hong Kong martial arts films, Gallants had earlier this year taken out the Hong Kong Film Critics Best Film Award, giving it the double of major Hong Kong film awards.

Gallants features a host of Shaw Brothers kung fu stars from the 60s and 70s, including Siu Yam-yam (邵音音, pinyin: Shào Yīnyīn) who was awarded Best Supporting Actress for her Gallants performance. Her Gallants co-star, veteran singer-songwriter Teddy Robin (泰迪罗宾, pinyin: Tàidí Luóbīn) took home two gongs: Best Supporting Actor for his scene-stealing performance as a martial arts guru, and Best Original Film Score, also for Gallants.

Although Detective Dee missed out on the big prize, it won six awards to make it the most successful film of the night. The judges proved they had a sentimental side by awarding the Best Actress prize to Carina Lau (刘嘉玲, pinyin: Liú Jiālíng - pictured left with Best Actor winner Nicholas Tse) for her performance as China's first female ruler, the Empress Wu Zetian. After six nominations, the 45 year old Lau finally broke through for her first Best Actress award - despite it not being her most memorable performance and, theoretically, probably belonging in the Supporting Actress category. Detective Dee's director, Tsui Hark (徐克, pinyin: Xú Kè) won Best Director, twenty years after his first and only other Best Director award - for the kung fu classic Once Upon A Time in China back in 1991.

Best Actor went to Nicholas Tse (谢霆锋, pinyin: Xiè Tíngfēng) for his performance in the title role of the crime actioner The Stool Pigeon (线人). Tse had previously won Best New Performer at the Hong Kong Film Awards back when he was an 18 year-old in 1998, and also won Best Supporting Actor last year for Bodyguards and Assassins.

This year's Best New Performer was given to Hanjin Tan (陈奂仁, pinyin: Chén Huànrén), the Singaporean singer-songwriter now turned actor. He was recognised for his performance in the otherwise disappointing martial arts biopic, Bruce Lee, My Brother (李小龙). Best Asian Film went to the Japanese drama Confessions, ahead of mainland productions Aftershock and Under the Hawthorn Tree, the Taiwanese gangster flic Monga and the Taiwanese-Australian co-production Seven Days In Heaven. The evening's biggest loser was the martial arts epic Reign of Assassins - nominated in 11 categories but going home empty-handed.

A complete list of award winners can be found at this AsiaOne webpage.

3D Sex and Zen Steams Up the Box Office

2011-04-20T11:45:00.006+10:00

Hong Kong's moribund Category III erotic film genre has been revived with the much-publicised release of 3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy (肉蒲团之极乐宝鑑). The film, released on 14 April, has broken box office records in both Hong Kong and Taiwan. Billed as the world's first "IMAX 3-D erotic film" - the honour of being the world's first 3-D erotic film was taken last year by a Korean film - 3D Sex and Zen packed out cinemas despite admittance being restricted to 18 year olds and over.

On its opening day in Hong Kong, the novelty of viewing soft-core porn in 3D attracted box office takings of HK$2.78 million (US$357,000). This made it the most successful debut of a 3-D film in Hong Kong, beating Hollywood blockbuster Avatar's first-day takings of HK$2.5 million. It was also by a large margin the highest opening day earnings of a Category III film, way ahead of the previous best of HK$1.2 million grossed by Ang Lee's spy thriller Lust, Caution.

By the end of the weekend, 3D Sex and Zen had gone on to gross HK$13 million (US$1.7 million), another record for a four-day opening period. It still has a long way to go to top Avatar's final box office grossings of HK$180 million - the most successful box office takings of all time in Hong Kong. The highest grossing Category III film is Lust, Caution which eventually took in HK$40 million - a target that looks achievable for 3D Sex and Zen considering the profitable Easter and May Day holiday periods are coming up. The producers are also expecting a large influx of mainland tourists to visit Hong Kong specifically to catch the movie - not surprisingly, it won't be getting a showing on the mainland.

3D Sex and Zen was also the box office champ in Taiwan last weekend, earning an estimated NT$15 million (US$515,000) for its first three days.

The film is a remake of a 1991 film that, until Lust, Caution, was the biggest grossing Category III in Hong Kong. Both movies are loosely based on a 17th century Chinese erotic novel, the Carnal Prayer Mat.

Jay Chou Wins Six at Golden Chart Awards

2011-04-17T16:48:00.005+10:00

The inaugural Global Chinese Golden Chart Awards (全球流行音乐金榜) were held in Taipei on 9 April, and Taiwan superstar Jay Chou (周杰伦, pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún) was the biggest winner collecting six awards. The Golden Chart Awards were organised by several Chinese-language radio stations from around the world, including Taiwan, mainland China, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.

Jay Chou's trophies included Favourite Male Singer and Outstanding Global Chinese Artist. His album, The Era ((跨时代), was also named Best Mandarin Album. Another big winner was Jay's former girlfriend and reigning Queen of Dance Music , Jolin Tsai (蔡依林, pinyin: Cài Yīlín), who collected four awards, including Favourite Female Singer and DJs Favourite Artist of the Year.

Best Male Singer went to Leehom Wang (王力宏, pinyin: Wáng Lìhóng), and Best Female Singer to Malaysia's "Queen of Love Songs", Fish Leong (梁静茹, pinyin: Liáng Jìngrú). Show Luo (罗志祥, pinyin: Luó Zhīxiáng) won awards for Best All-round Entertainer and also for his album Rashomon (罗生门) which won Album with the Longest Chart Run. Singapore's JJ Lin (林俊杰, Lín Jùnjié) was awarded Best Singer.

In the group awards, Taiwan's eight-member boy band Super Junior-M, an offshoot of the Korean boy band Super Junior, was awarded Most Popular Group. Best Band went to the indie band from Taiwan, Sodagreen (苏打绿, pinyin: Sūdá lǜ), while Best Group went to the three-piece girl group S.H.E. Former Super Junior-M band member Han Geng (韩庚), who released his debut solo album last year, was named Newcomer of the Year.

Over sixty trophies in 29 categories were handed out on the night. The main award winners follow - this Chinese-language article has the complete list.

Best Male Artist: Leehom Wang
Best Female Artist: Fish Leong
Favourite Male Artist: Jay Chou
Favourite Female Artist: Jolin Tsai
Most Popular Group: Super Junior-M
Newcomer of the Year: Han Geng
Annual Excellence Award: Kenji Wu (吴克群, pinyin: Wú Kèqún)
Best Stage Performance: Elva Hsiao (萧亚轩, pinyin: Xiāo Yǎxuān)
Album with the Longest Chart Run: Rashomon, by Show Luo
DJs' Favourite Artist of the Year: Jolin Tsai
Media Recommendation Award: Hebe Tien (田馥甄, pinyin: Tián Fūzhēn)
Outstanding Global Chinese Artist: Jay Chou
Best Band: Sodagreen
Best Group: S.H.E
Best Mandarin Album: The Era, by Jay Chou
Best Singer: JJ Lin
Best All-round Entertainer: Show Luo

Top 20 Songs (in no particular order)

It's Okay To Be Lonely (寂寞寂寞就好) - Hebe Tien
Not So Simple (没那么简单) - Tiger Huang (黄小琥)
The Opposite Me (相反的我) - Jing Chang (张芸京)
Once In A Lifetime (十年一刻) - Sodagreen
The Leading Role (爱的主场秀) - Show Luo
SHERO - S.H.E
Heartache On Your Heartache (心疼你的心疼) - Farenheit (飞轮海)
I Believe (我相信) - Jane Zhang (张靓颖)
It's Love (这，就是爱) - Jason Zhang (张杰)
What Love Songs Didn't Tell You (情歌没有告诉你) - Fish Leong
Play (玩乐) - Khalil Fong (方大同)
Meet You at the Next Crossing (下个，路口，见) - Li Yuchun (李宇春)
It Doesn't Matter (没关系) - Kenji Wu
Honey Trap (美人计) - Jolin Tsai
Say No - Han Geng
All The Things You Never Knew (你不知道的事) - Leehom Wang
Superman Can't Fly (超人不会飞) - Jay Chou
Hundred Days (第几个100天) - JJ Lin
Grandpa (爷爷) - Gary Chaw (曹格)
Wrong Person (错的人) - Elva Hsiao

Charmaine Sheh Named No. 1 Artist By Next Magazine

2011-04-16T11:11:00.004+10:00

Hong Kong's entertainment glossy Next Magazine every year publishes its Top Ten TV Artists and Top Ten TV Shows. This year the number one artist was Charmaine Sheh (佘诗曼, pinyin: Shé Shīmàn), while the series she starred in, TVB's historical romantic comedy Can't Buy Me Love (公主嫁到), was named number one TV program. The awards were dominated by Can't Buy Me Love - Hong Kong's most watched TV program in 2010 - with four of the Top Ten Artists - Sheh, Moses Chan (陈豪, pinyin: Chén Háo), Linda Chung (钟嘉欣, pinyin: Zhōng Jiāxīn) and Fala Chen (陈法拉, pinyin: Chén Fǎlā) - starring in the series.

Charmaine Sheh's number one award may prove to be the crowning achievement of her twelve-year career with TVB. Earlier this year she announced that she would not be renewing her TVB contract in order to pursue opportunites elsewhere. It has been remarkable career for the 35 year-old former Miss Hong Kong runner-up. She has been named in the Next Magazine Top Ten Artist lists for an amazing ten consecutive years, and the second time she has been ranked number one (the previous occasion was in 2007).

No Regrets (巾帼枭雄之义海豪情), 2010's second most watched TV series in Hong Kong, came number two in the Top Ten Programs. And two of the stars of the show, Wayne Lai (黎耀祥: Lí Yàoxiáng) and Sheren Tang (邓萃雯, pinyin: Dèng Cuìwén), were named number two and number three in the Top Ten Artists list. Lai's two ranking was the second year in a row that he has held the runner-up position, while Tang was last year's number one. Fala Chen was No Regret's other Top Ten Artist.

In something of a surprise, Raymond Lam (林峰, pinyin: Lín Fēng), who won the Favourite Male Character at this year's TVB Anniversary Awards, could only finish number eight in the Top Ten Artists. Last year he starred in The Mysteries of Love (谈情说案), which was ranked number three in the Top Ten Programs. And Natalie Tong (唐诗咏, pinyin: Táng Shīyǒng), who appeared in the martial arts drama A Fistful of Stances (铁马寻桥), made her first appearance in the Top Ten Artists list, sneaking in at number ten.

The top ranked variety show on the list was the cooking show, Kitchen Diva Louisa (和味苏), hosted by Hong Kong actress turned celebrity chef Louisa So. The highest ranking non-TVB program was the ATV law drama series The Men of Justice (法网群英)

The Top Ten TV Artists were:

Charmaine Shen (佘诗曼)
Wayne Lai (黎耀祥)
Sheren Tang (邓萃雯)
Moses Chan (陈豪)
Tavia Yeung (杨怡)
Linda Chung (钟嘉欣)
Bosco Wong (黄宗泽)
Raymond Lam (林峰)
Fala Chen (陈法拉)
Natalie Tong (唐诗咏)

And the Top Ten TV Programs:

Can't Buy Me Love (公主嫁到)
No Regrets (巾帼枭雄之义海豪情)
The Mysteries of Love (谈情说案)
The Rippling Blossom (鱼跃在花见)
Kitchen Diva Louisa (和味苏)
A Fistful of Stances (铁马寻桥)
Beauty Knows No Pain (女人最痛)
Fun With Liza and Gods (荃加福禄寿)
The Men of Justice (法网群英)
Ghost Writer (蒲松龄)

The full list of Next Magazine's award winners can be found at this Asian Fanatics post.

Leehom Wang Wins Most at Malaysia's MY Astro Awards

2011-04-11T10:41:00.007+10:00

(Leehom Wang has his hands full with awards at the MY Astro Music Awards)

American-born Leehom Wang (王力宏, pinyin: Wáng Lìhóng) picked up six awards at the MY Astro Music Awards held in Kuala Lumpur on 26 March. Other big winners were Taiwan's queen of pop Jolin Tsai (蔡依林, pinyin: Cài Yīlín), and Taiwanese boy band Fahrenheit (飞轮海, pinyin: Fēilúnhǎi). The MY Astro Awards are organised by Astro, one of Malaysia's largest satellite TV networks, and MY FM radio station, and were held for just the second time.

Wang took home the major award of the evening, the Annual Best Award (至尊年度大奖), as well as Best Male International Singer, and Best Male Creative Artist. His songs All the Things You Never Know (你不知道的事) and Bo Ya Cuts the Strings (伯牙绝弦) - both from the movie Love in Disguise which the multi-talented Wang directed and starred in - were amongst the 25 Golden Melody Songs, and he also picked up an award for Best Producer.

Jolin Tsai's awards included Best Female International Singer, Best Dance Song for Honey Trap (美人计), and two songs in the Golden Melody Songs - Honey Trap and Love Player (玩爱之徒). Fahrenheit were named Best Band and Best Professional Performance, and also had two songs in the Golden Melody Songs list - Super Hot (太热) and Heartache on Your Heartache (心疼你的心疼).

Awards were also handed out to local stars, and Gary Chaw (曹格, pinyin: Cáo Gé) was named Best Male Malaysian Singer, while Amy Wang (王明丽, pinyin: Wáng Mínglì) won Best Female Malaysian Singer. Wang, although 30 years old, is a relative newcomer - releasing her first EP in 2009 and her follow-up EP last year. Chaw began his career in 2006 and has gained popularity not just in his country of birth but throughout East Asia. In 2008 he won Best Male Mandarin Singer at Taiwan's prestigious Golden Melody Awards.

The major award winners were as follows (a complete list can be found here, but in Chinese):
Best of the Year: Leehom Wang
Best Male International Singer: Leehom Wang
Best Female International Singer: Jolin Tsai
Best Male Malaysian Singer: Gary Chaw
Best Female Malaysian Singer: Amy Wang
Gold Award for Best Band: Fahrenheit
Best Male Creative Artist: Leehom Wang
Best Female Creative Artist: Lala Hsu (徐佳莹)
Best Album: Eason Chan (陈奕迅) - Time Flies
Best Rock Song: Guardian (守护者) by Y2J (神木与瞳)
Best Dance Song: Honey Trap by Jolin Tsai
Best Love Song: It's Okay To Be Lonely (寂寞寂寞就好) by Hebe Tien (田馥甄)
Best Music Video: You Are Too Savage (你太猖狂) by Hebe Tien
Best New International Act: Alien Huang (黄鸿升)
Best New Malaysian Act: Josh Lai (赖力豪)
Best Professional Performance Award: Fahrenheit
Best TV Theme Song: I Love Him (我爱他) by Della Ding (丁当)
Best Single: Rainbow Family (彩虹的家) by Stephanie & Fyone (刘佩芯、陈慧莹)
Most Popular Singers: Thomas Jack (东于哲)
Best New Interpretation: I'm a Little Bird (我是一只小小鸟) by Della Ding
Best Interpretation: Eason Chan
全台主持联颁至尊歌手(Malaysia): Thomas Jack
全台主持联颁至尊歌手(Internationa): Jolin Tsai
Best Producer: Leehom Wang

25 Golden Melody Songs:

World's Most Romantic Song (地球上最浪漫的一首歌) - Alien Huang (黄鸿升)
I Love Him (我爱他) - Della Ding (丁当)
Fairy Tale (说谎) - Yoga Lin (林宥嘉)
Goodbye to Singlehood (再见单身) - Chen Weiquan (陈威全)
Grandpa (爷爷) - Gary Chaw (曹格)
Back to Back (背对背拥抱) - JJ Lin (林俊杰)
All the Things You Never Know (你不知道的事) - Leehom Wang (王力宏)
Cry and You'll Be Fine (哭过就好了) - Rachel Liang (梁文音)
Desperado - Yise Loo (罗忆诗)
Superman Can't Fly (超人不会飞) - Jay Chou (周杰伦)
Honey Trap (美人计) - Jolin Tsai (蔡依林)
Tourbillon (陀飞轮) - Eason Chan (陈奕迅)
Cut Song (切歌) - Sam Lee (李圣杰)
Miracle of Love (爱的奇迹) - Thomas Jack (东于哲)
If You Can Love Again (如果能重新恋爱) - Zeng Guohui (曾国珲)
It's Okay To Be Lonely (寂寞寂寞就好) - Hebe Tien (田馥甄)
Nice Guy Card (好人卡) - Hao Ren (朱浩仁)
Bo Ya Cuts the Strings (伯牙绝弦) - Leehom Wang (王力宏)
Acrophobia (惧高症) - Lala Xu (徐佳莹)
Love Player (玩爱之徒) - Jolin Tsai (蔡依林)
Super Hot (太热) - Fahrenheit (飞轮海)
Forgiveness (宽恕) - Y2J (神木与瞳)
Fragile (脆弱) - Kay Tse (谢安琪)
Love and Not Love (爱与不爱) - Will Ng (黄威尔)
Heartache on Your Heartache (心疼你的心疼) - Fahrenheit (飞轮海)

Farenheit's Aaron Yan Rises to No 1 on Album Charts

2011-04-08T12:39:00.005+10:00

Aaron Yan (炎亚纶, pinyin: Yán Yǎlún), a singer in the popular Taiwanese boy band Farenheit (飞轮海), has gone straight to the number 1 position on Taiwan's G Music Album charts with his debut solo record The Next Me (下一个炎亚纶). The new release, an EP, finally displaced Show Luo's Only For You after a marathon five-week stay at the top. The Next Me had an impressive 55.7 percent of all Chinese-language record sales for the week 25 March to 31 March. Show Luo dropped to number 2 on the chart with 7.1 percent of sales.

Yan is the first of the four members from Farenheit to release a solo album. Born in either 1985 or 1986 (depending on which website you read) Yan spent a few years of his childhood in the US before returning to Taiwan to complete his schooling. He started off his entertainment career in 2004, appearing in Taiwanese television dramas before being recruited to the newly-formed Farenheit in 2005. Best-known as the "cute shy one" in the band, his solo foray shows another side to him, including a strip tease on the music video for the title track.

The Next Me is a two-CD EP with CD 1 containing six tracks including the first single, a ballad The Next Me (下一个我) and an instrumental cover, The Truth That You Show, which shows off his piano skills. The second CD contains six live tracks.

March Flavour of the Month: Mavis Pan

2011-04-06T22:25:00.001+10:00

Up until March 16, Mavis Pan (潘霜霜, pinyin: Pān Shuāngshuāng) was a minor model and aspiring actress, best known as a Shu Qi lookalike with a 36D bust. However when phone cell photos were released showing her in bed with Hong Kong's TVB heartthrob Raymond Lam (林峰, pinyin: Lín Fēng), the mainland born Mavis suddenly became a household name. It became news for at that time know one knew Lam was in a relationship. Once the photos were released, an upset Lam admitted that they had once been in an item together but that Lam had called off the relationship months earlier.

Like all good scandals, the revelations didn't stop there. Pan's side quickly counter-claimed that the relationship hadn't ended and indeed Lam had proposed on Valentine's Day. There were further rumours that Lam had visited her Beijing apartment just the day before the photos were exposed. Neither rumour could be confirmed, though gossip magazine Next Magazine, the originally publisher of the photos, showed alleged Valentine's Day photos of the two as a couple.

Then claims were made on the internet that Pan was/is in fact married to a Westerner know only as John. A photo was posted online showing Pan sitting arm in arm with an older Caucasian male, a young boy on her knee. The rumours were contradictory over whether the boy is Pan's son or not - one rumour had them meeting and marrying just two years ago, though the boy is six years old. In any case, Pan's management denied the marriage claims.

Then there was the question of how the photos managed to fall into the hands of Next Magazine. Pan claimed that her mobile phone had been stolen, while Pan's manager put the blame on a sacked personal assistant of Pan's now seeking revenge. Lam's fans on the net took the cynical view, that Pan had leaked the photos herself to gain publicity for her career.

24 year-old Pan was born in Zhejiang province on the mainland and is based in Beijing. She got a big break with her modelling career when she did a photoshoot for online betting agency bwin.com during the football World Cup in 2008. She made her acting debut in the yet-to-be-released action film Treasure Inn starring big-name Hong Kong stars Nicholas Tse, Nick Cheung and Charlene Choi. Now film production companies are lining up to sign her up for further roles.

China Dominates Asia Rainbow TV Awards

2011-04-06T17:29:00.005+10:00

No posts for some time, due to a few weeks' stay in hospital. But I'm now in recovery mode and can resume blogging - and there's a few news items to catch up on over the next few days.

Zhou Yun and Chen Jianbin with their Best Actor awards

We'll begin with the Asia Rainbow TV Awards which were held back on 22 March. The awards, held for the first time, were dominated by Chinese shows and actors. Best Modern Drama was awarded to A Beautiful Daughter-in-law Era (媳妇的美好时代), a family drama which focuses on the relationship between mother and daughter-in-law, a sometimes rocky relationship in Chinese society.

A Chinese production also won in the Best Action Drama category, A Legend of Shaolin Kung Fu: Heroes in Trouble (少林寺传奇). In the Best Comedy category, the award went to the Taiwanese romantic comedy Hi My Sweetheart (海派甜心) starring pop superstars Show Luo and Rainie Yang. The only category in which Chinese productions missed out was Best Historical Drama - won by Japan's The Pleiades. The Chinese nomination, Three Kingdoms (三国) may have failed to win the Historical Drama award, but compensated with the Jury Grand Award for Television Drama Program.

Chinese actors were also to the fore at the ceremony. 40 year old mainland actor Chen Jianbin (陈建斌), a regular in Chinese TV dramas, was named Best Actor in a Drama for his portrayal of the famous warlord and military strategist Cao Cao in Three Kingdoms. Rising actress Zhou Yun (周韵), who had small but important roles in the blockbusters Let the Bullets Fly and Bodyguards and Assassins, took home Best Actress in a Drama. She was recognised for her performance in the popular drama Golden Anniversary of a Stormy Romance.

The two co-stars of the mainland show Marriage Battle (婚姻保卫战), Huang Lei (黄磊) and Ma Yili (马伊琍), were named Best Actor and Best Actress in a Comedy respectively. Huang made his acting debut back in 1991 in the Chen Kaige film Life on a String, in which he played the blind apprentice Chinese lute player. In 1996 he was awarded Best Supporting Actor at the Changchun Film Festival for The Phantom Lover, and is twice Best Actor winner at the Golden Phoenix television awards.

34 year old Ma first came to Chinese TV viewers' attention with her appearance in the 1997 idol drama Black Hole. She became a bona fide star with her leading role in the third series of the historical drama Princess Returning Pearl in 2002, and followed up with another hit historical series, Residence of the Qiao Family. In 2007 she starred in the modern drama, Struggle, and in the same year was awarded Best Actress at the Changchun Film Festival for The Good Man. She then took an extended break from acting when she gave birth to her first child, a daughter. Marriage Battle marked her return to the small screen.

The full list of award winners can be found at the official Asia Rainbow TV Awards website.

China's Oriental Film Festival Awards

2011-03-21T19:28:00.005+11:00

The 2011 Oriental Film Festival Awards (2011东方影视盛典), which honour achievements in both film and television, were held at the Beijing National Aquatic Centre last week. The awards are organised jointly by Shanghai TV, Shanghai Oriental Media Group and Oriental TV, and recognise both popular and critical success in the film and television industry over the past year.

In the category of Most Outstanding Film of the Year (年度最具价值电影), the award was taken by the mainland box office hit Let the Bullets Fly (让子弹飞). The action comedy, directed by Jiang Wen and starring Wen alongside Chow Yun-Fat and Ge You, earlier this year became the highest grossing Chinese film of all time. It is also up for multiple nominations at the Asian Film Awards.

Most Outstanding TV series of the Year was given to Three Kingdoms (三国), the big budget series based on the classic Chinese novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The 95 episode series was directed by Gao Xixi (高希希 - pictured left, and looking decidely underwhelmed with his awards), who also picked up an award for Best TV Drama Director (电视剧年度最具实力导演). Feng Xiaogang (冯小刚), who in 2010 directed the earthquake film Aftershock and the romantic comedy If You Are The One 2, was awarded Most Outstanding Film Director.

In the acting awards, Hong Kong martial arts star Donnie Yen (甄子丹, pinyin: Zhēn Zǐdān) was named Most Outstanding Asian Movie Star. 2010 was another big year for the action hero, starring in Bodyguards and Assassins, Ip Man 2, 14 Blades (a hit with the public if not with critics), and Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen. In the latter film, as well as starring Yen was also the action director. Nicholas Tse (谢霆锋, pinyin: Xiè Tíngfēng), who last year won Best Supporting Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards for his performance in Bodyguards and Assassins, and who in 2010 also appeared in the rom-com Hot Summer Days and the crime thriller The Stool Pigeon, was named Most Outstanding Hong Kong-Taiwan Actor.

Mainland actor Sun Honglei (孙红雷), who appeared in If You Are The One 2 and the comedy Welcome to Shamatown was named Most Outstanding Film Actor. Xu Fan (徐帆), wife of Aftershock director Feng Xiaogang, and who impressed with her performance as a grieving mother in that film, was awarded Most Outstanding Film Actress.

Most Outstanding TV Actor was given to Wu Xiubo (吴秀波) who acts predominantly on the small screen in China. Last year he appeared in several popular drama series, including Before the Dawn (for which he has already won a Most Popular Actor award at the National Drama Awards) and Shanghai, Shanghai. Hai Qing (海清), who starred in A Beautiful Daughter-in-Law Era, Dwelling Narrowness and also Before the Dawn, was awarded Most Outstanding TV Actress.

An article on the 163 news portal (but in Chinese) provides a list of some of the award winners. I think there were also several Most Popular Actor/Actress awards handed out as well, and if I can track down a list I'll post them later.

Lover's Discourse Wins Top Prize at Osaka Festival

2011-03-18T16:58:00.004+11:00

A Hong Kong movie, Lover's Discourse (恋人絮语) was awarded the Grand Prize at the recently completed 5th Annual Osaka Asia Film Festival. The romantic drama explores contemporary relationships between the sexes through four separately told but intertwined stories. The film is co-directed by the son of Hong Kong veteran funny man Eric Tsang, Derek Tsang (曾国祥), making his directing debut. The film's other director, Jimmy Wan (尹志文), also a first-time director, is best-known for his writing credits.

Lover's Discourse stars current King of Cantopop (and no slouch either when it comes to acting), Eason Chan (陈奕迅, pinyin: Chén Yìxùn) alongside Vancouver-born Karena Lam (林嘉欣, pinyin: Lín Jiāxīn), and their relationship is the focus of the story's first episode. Singer Kay Tse (谢安琪, pinyin: Xiè Anqí), although still a newcomer to acting - Lover's Discourse is just her third role - impresses as a shy laundry worker with a crush on a customer (Taiwan idol Eddie Peng - 彭于晏, pinyin: Péng Yúyàn) in the second story.

The third story stars director Tsang's famous father Eric Tsang (曾志伟, pinyin: Zēng Zhìwěi) alongside Singaporean singing star from the 90s Kit Chan (陈洁仪, pinyin: Chén Jiéyí). Jacky Heung (向佐, pinyin: Xiàng Zuǒ) - another son of a famous Hong Kong film luminary - appears in both the third and fourth episode, appearing in the latter alongside singer-actress Mavis Fan (范晓萱, pinyin: Fàn Xiǎoxuān).

The film gets a positive review at the Love HK Film website, though Film Business Asia's reviewer is not so impressed. Lover's Discourse was overlooked for a Best Film nomination at the upcoming Hong Kong Film Awards, although the theme song - penned by Mavis Fan - is a nominee for Best Song.

The Asia Rainbow TV Awards Nominees Announced

2011-03-17T18:17:00.006+11:00

The inaugural Asia Rainbow TV Awards (亚洲彩虹奖电视颁奖礼), organised by the Hong Kong Television Professionals Association (HKTVA) will be held on 22 March. There will be 24 awards in the following four main categories: TV series; variety shows; documentaries; and animation. Thirteen countries will be competing in the awards, and last week the organisers announced the nominees.

In the TV Series categories it was mainland China that led the way in nominations. It has one nomination in the Best Historical Drama category, Three Kingdoms (三国). In the Modern Drama category, A Beautiful Daughter-in-law Era (媳妇的美好时代) has been nominated, while Marriage Battle (婚姻保卫战) has been nominated for Best Comedy. In the Best Action Drama category, two of the three nominees were from mainland China - The Legend of Bruce Lee (李小龙传奇) and A Legend of Shaolin Kung Fu: Heroes in Trouble (少林寺传奇). The only Taiwanese show nominated in the TV series categories was Hi My Sweetheart (海派甜心) for Best Comedy, while Hong Kong series missed out completely.

Unfortunately there's a little glitch with the official website, and the names of the actor nominees aren't available. The best I can come up with is that Hong Kong actors Pakho Chau (周柏豪, pinyin: Zhōu Bǎiháo) and Ella Koon (官恩娜, pinyin: Guān Ennuó) from the RTHK comedy Room to Let (有房出租) are up for nominations in the Best Comedy Actor and Actress categories. Also nominated for Best Comedy Actor and Actress are Taiwan's Show Luo (罗志祥, pinyin: Luó Zhīxiáng) and Rainie Yang (杨丞琳, pinyin: Yáng Chénglín) who both starred in Hi My Sweetheart. Mainland actor Huang Lei (黄磊) is another Best Comedy Actor contender for Marriage Battle.

Mainland actors Hu Jun (胡军) in Golden Anniversary of a Stormy Romance (金婚风雨情) and Chen Jianbin (陈建斌) for his portrayal of the famous general Cao Cao in Three Kingdoms are contenders for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Actress Zhou Yun (周韵) in Golden Anniversary of a Stormy Romance is competing for Best Actress.

And for fans of TVB series wondering where are their favourites amongst the nominations, the Hong Kong network has shunned the Asia Rainbow TV Awards because they didn't have time in their busy schedule to submit any nominations.

An incomplete list of nominees can be found at the offical website (link above).

The Rippling Blossom's Ratings Bloom

2011-03-12T20:12:00.004+11:00

Hong Kong's TVB had its first major hit TV series of the year with the screening of the modern love story, The Rippling Blossom (鱼跃在花见). The film stars actor-singer Julian Cheung (张智霖, pinyin: Zhāng Zǐlín) as a masterchef of Japanese cuisine and heir to a Hong Kong sushi restaurant. Although Cheung has a big fan base his TV roles have been rare over recent years as acting takes a back seat to his singing career.

Other stars in the series are Michael Tse (谢兴华, pinyin: Xiè Xīnghuá) as his half-brother and rival, and Myolie Wu (胡杏儿, pinyin: Hú Xìng'ér) and Tavia Yeung (杨怡, pinyin: Yáng Yí) as the love interests. (Both actresses were recently featured in an article by Hong Kong's The Sun newspaper as future Fa Dans or TV divas.) The series also features veteran actor-director Damien Lau (刘松仁, pinyin: Liú Sōngrén) as a Japan-based chef known as the God of Fish.

Although the storyline follows the well-worn route of TVB's family business dramas with their sibling rivalry and double-crossing, The Rippling Blossom started strongly in the ratings. It not only kept its initial audience but also continued to build in viewer numbers. The 20-episode series commenced on 7 February, and its first week of screening attracted a healthy average rating of 29. Each subsequent week its ratings grew by an additional point, and its final two episodes had an average of 34, peaking at 38. This makes it the highest rating series so far on TVB this year, although of course we're not even a quarter of the way into the year.

As well as the strong cast, the series' appeal no doubt was also due to the beautiful scenery, with a substantial part of the story taking place in Japan in autumn and winter. Numerous cooking and eating scenes also left viewers' mouths watering, and Julian Cheung may have stamped himself as an early front-runner for this year's My Favourite Actor awards. For those interested, here's an informative review from Chen's Just Me blog.

Who Will Succeed Charmaine Sheh as TVB Fa Dan?

2011-03-09T19:57:00.011+11:00

TVB's reigning Fa Dan - Charmaine Sheh

Hong Kong television actress Charmaine Sheh (佘诗曼, pinyin: Shé Shīmàn) has for the past decade being the number one star at TVB, Hong Kong's premier TV network. She has earned the title Fa Dan (best translated as "diva" and given to actresses whose popularity guarantees them the best roles), and is a six-time winner at the TVB Awards in the Favourite TV Character category. A former runner-up in the Miss Hong Kong Pageant, the 35 year old has appeared in some of TVB's most popularly-acclaimed series, including War and Beauty (2004), Maiden's Vow (2006), Beyond the Realm of Conscience (2009) and last year's Can't Buy Me Love. However last month Sheh announced that she would not be renewing her TVB contract in April, with rumours that she would take up acting opportunities in mainland China.

Sheh's departure has now fuelled speculation on who will replace her as TVB's number one star. One article, in Hong Kong's The Sun newspaper and translated in this Asian Fanatics Forum post, has nominated five possible successors to her Fa Dan title: Fala Chen, Kate Tsui, Tavia Yeung, Linda Chung and Myolie Wu.

29 year old Fala Chen (陈法拉, pinyin: Chén Fǎlā) was born in Chengdu before moving to the United States when she was 15 years old. After winning several titles in the US beauty pageant circuit she took part in the Miss China International pageant in 2005 in Hong Kong where she was a runner-up. Despite missing out on the crown, it led to a contract with TVB and she made her acting debut in the 2006 series Forensic Heroes. She appeared in TVB's biggest series of 2007, Heart of Greed, and in the same year won Best Supporting Actress at the TVB Awards for her performance in Steps. In 2008 she appeared in another major TVB hit, Moonlight Resonance, and also 2010's Best Drama Series, Can't Buy Me Love, for which she was nominated in My Favourite Female Character category. She also won her second Best Supporting Actress award in 2010, for No Regrets which was Hong Kong's highest rating series last year.

Kate Tsui (徐子珊, pinyin: Xú Zǐshān) is another beauty pageant graduate, winning the 2004 Miss Hong Kong title. She has appeared in hit series La Femme Desperado (2006 and Hong Kong's answer to Desperate Housewives) and Moonlight Resonance (2008), and in 2007 won the TVB Awards Most Improved Actress award for On The First Beat and Steps. The 31 year old however tends to divide audiences with her sexy roles, which more conservative viewers consider a little unsuitable for a true Fa Dan. She has also embarked on a singing career, again with divided opinions about her ability.

Probably the leading candidate for future Fa Dan is Tavia Yeung (杨怡, pinyin: Yáng Yí). The 31 year old actress began her career in 1999 after graduating from a TVB training school. She started off in minor roles before attracting attention for her performance in The Awakening Story in 2001, and Eternal Happiness the year after. In 2003 she won Most Improved Actress at the TVB Awards, and has since appeared in many of TVB's most popular and awarded TV series. In 2008 she was awarded Best Supporting Actress for Moonlight Resonance, then followed it up a year later with Best Performance of the Year for both Sweetness in the Salt and Beyond the Realm of Conscience. She's currently starring in TVB's highest rating series so far of 2011, The Rippling Blossom.

Former winner of the Miss China International Pageant in 2004, Linda Chung (钟嘉欣, pinyin: Zhōng Jiāxīn) is the youngest on the list at 26 years old. Although born and raised in Canada, she moved to Hong Kong to pursue an acting career, and with just her third series role, Always Ready, she was named Most Improved Actress at the 2006 TVB Awards. The following year she was again awarded Most Improved Actress for two shows, The Biter Bitten and Forensic Heroes. She has also been nominated in the Favourite Female Character category in three of the past four years: Heart of Greed (2007), Legend of the Demigods (2008) and Can't Buy Me Love (2010).

Tavia Yeung's main contender for the successor title may be Myolie Wu (胡杏儿, pinyin: Hú Xìng'ér). Born in Hong Kong but educated in Northern Ireland, the 31 year old is yet another actress to break into the Hong Kong TV business via a beauty pageant, finishing runner-up in the Miss Hong Kong content in 1999. Her early career looked promising, winning TVB's Most Improved Actress for Golden Faith, and coming close to winning Best Actress in 2005 for Wars of In-Laws (she lost out to her co-star Linda Wang). The following year she was again in the top five nominees for Best Actress for To Grow With Love, a role for which she reportedly put on 50 pounds. Wu was particularly good in comedies, but her career has fallen away a bit in recent years with few stand-out roles. She is another who also polarises viewers' opinions regarding her acting skills. Her appearance in this year's hit series The Rippling Blossom may see her career on the rise again.

2011 HK Directors Guild Four-Way Tie for Top Prize

2011-03-07T22:08:00.007+11:00

The Hong Kong Film Directors Guild had their annual Spring Banquet and Awards Ceremony on March 5, and were unable to find a clear winner for their Most Recommended Film of 2010 award. Honours were shared between the historical adventure film Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (狄仁杰之通天帝国), the detective thriller The Stool Pigeon (线人), the retro kung fu comedy Gallants (打擂台) and the romantic comedy Love in a Puff (志明与春娇). The directors were similarly undecided on their Best Director award - it was shared by three of the Most Recommend Film directors, Detective Dee's Tsui Hark (徐克), Stool Pigeon's Dante Lam (林超贤) and Love in a Puff's Pang Ho-cheung (彭浩翔).

The Directors Guild doesn't hand out Best Actor gongs, but instead acknowledges new acting talent. Its 2010 New Actor Gold Prize went to Dennis To Yu-hang (杜宇航, pinyin: Dù Yǔháng - pictured left) who played the title role in the martial arts biopic The Legend is Born - Ip Man. The 30 year old To has been hailed as a natural successor to the current martial arts leading man Donnie Yen, to whom To also has a remarkable physical resemblance. He has also made appearances in Ip Man, Ip Man 2 and Bodyguards and Assassins, but The Legend is Born is his first starring role.

Silver Prize was given to Jennifer Tse (谢婷婷, pinyin: Xiè Tíngtíng), who co-starred in another kung fu biopic, Bruce Lee, My Brother. 23 year old Tse, also known as Tse Ting-ting, is the sister of the popular Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse, and daughter of another famous Hong Kong actor-director, Patrick Tse. Bruce Lee, My Brother was her screen debut, playing Bruce Lee's girlfriend. She began her career as a model. Also from Bruce Lee, My Brother, Singapore singer, songwriter and record producer now turned actor Hanjin Tan (陈奂仁, pinyib: Chén Huànrén) was awarded the Bronze Prize.

The Directors Guild Award for 2010 New Director was given to Felix Chong (庄文强) for the action-comedy Once a Gangster. The 43 year old Chong had previously been a writer for some recent Hong Kong classics such as the Infernal Affairs trilogy, Confessions of Pain and Overheard. Once a Gangster is his directing debut.

The Directors Guild also handed out an honourary award to veteran martial arts star and director Sammo Hung (洪金宝, pinyin: Hóng Jīnbǎo). The 59 year old star, known for his big build and surprisingly agile martial arts skills, went to the same China Drama Academy as Jackie Chan and like Chan began as a child actor. His acting credits include Iron-Fisted Monk, Project A, The Prodigal Son, Pedicab Driver and SPL.

Yao Chen - China's Most Popular Microblogger

2011-03-06T22:12:00.005+11:00

It's probably the only thing they share in common but Lady Gaga and Chinese TV actress Yao Chen (姚晨) have the most followers on their respective microblogging services. Lady Gaga has long been recognised as Twitter's number 1 in terms of followers with over 8 million fans. In China however, where Twitter is officially banned if not entirely blocked, its Weibo that rules the microbloggersphere, and Yao Chen is the Queen of Weibo. Weibo, which is very similar in features to Twitter, is owned by Sina Corporation, China's biggest web portal. Although the social networking site was launched only 18 months ago, it already has an estimated 100 million users.

It's not entirely clear why Yao Chen has garnered such a large following. She's hardly a so-called "idol star" with a devoted and fanatical teenage fan-base, but rather a 31 year old respected TV actress. One explanation is that she interacts more than most celebrity bloggers with her followers. The frequency of her posts - often as much as 10 a day - is another factor. She was the first Weibo user to gain 1 million followers mid last year, and that number has since climbed to almost 6.4 million. Currently she is the 7th most popular microblogger in the world, but will most likely leap-frog Twitter users like Ashton Kutcher and Kim Kardashian over the coming weeks/months.

Yao Chen first came to prominence in the hit TV series My Own Swordsman in 2006. The martial arts comedy was one of the most popular TV series of that year and made her a star. In 2009 she starred in another hit series, the spy drama Lurk set in 1945, her performance winning her several acting awards. She is set to star in the movie version of My Own Swordsman this year.

In second place on Weibo's most popular list is Taiwan's TV host and actress, Dee Hsu (徐熙娣, pinyin: Xú Xīdì). She hosts the popular comedy talk show Here Comes Kangxi, and before that co-hosted 100% Entertainment with her older sister, Barbie Hsu. Known simply as Xiao S (or Little S), Hsu is often outspoken in her views, including those posted on Weibo. She currently has 5.47 million followers, which now puts her in the top ten global microbloggers. Just last week she added an additional 168,000 fans, and so it seems it's only a matter of time before she too reaches the 6 million mark.

Just behind Hsu is popular movie actress Zhao Wei (赵薇) with 5.3 million followers, and she too is on the verge of breaking into the global Top Ten list. The most popular Hong Kong blogger on Weibo is the singer-actress Gigi Leung (梁咏琪, pinyin: Liáng Yǒngqí). Again, her popularity might be considered surprising, as her acting career probably reached its pinnacle in 1996 with the hit romantic comedy Feel 100%, and she is also reportedly struggling to fill concert halls on her current singing tour. She has around 3.25 million followers, although that number received a further boost after her microblogging exploits were featured in a Wall Street Journal article.

The most recent numbers for microblog followers can be found at this The Independent on Sunday post.

Night Market Hero Breaks NT$100 Million Barrier

2011-03-04T21:50:00.004+11:00

Taiwanese comedy drama Night Market Hero (鸡排英雄) has become just the third local film to earn over NT$100 million (US$3.4 million) at the Taiwanese box office. The film is the debut work of director Yeh Tien-lun and stars several actors who although largely unknown outside Taiwan are familiar faces from Taiwanese television. They include TV host Chu Ko-Liang, model turned actor Blue Lan Cheng-Lung, Ke Jia-Yan, and TV presenter and surprise pop star Lotus Wang.

Night Market Hero was released during the Spring Festival holiday period which would have boosted its ticket sales, although it also opened up against the formidable presence of Jay Chou's Green Hornet. The movie's producers, which include the Taiwan branch of 20th Century Fox, were clearly hoping to emulate the success of the Hong Kong Spring Festival comedies which are almost an institution in that city. However unlike the lightweight Hong Kong froth usually served up for New Year, Night Market Hero also contains a harder edge with a storyline that targets political and bureaucratic corruption.

Night Market Hero has in the period up to the end of February earned over NT$110 million, making it the third highest grossing local film ever at the Taiwan box office. Those takings still fall well short of the record box office return from the 2008 romance Cape No.7, which earned NT$530 million, and the gangster hit of last year Monga (NT$258 million).

February Flavour of the Month: Barbie Hsu

2011-03-02T19:58:00.007+11:00

Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛, pinyin: Xú Xīyuàn), Taiwanese actress and TV show host, had a busy February that included a wedding announcement, a retirement and an award (albeit of the wrong kind).

Barbie Hsu in (Photoshopped) wedding dress - thanks Xinmin website

Earlier last month Hsu announced a wedding date for her marriage to multi-millionaire restaurateur Wang Xiaofei - to be held in the Chinese resort city of Sanya on Hainan island on March 22. It's actually the second ceremony for the two; in November last year they also got married, but in a low-key affair in Beijing almost immediately after announcing their engagement. Low-key understates it - not even the couple's parents attended the civil ceremony. The second ceremony will be much more extravagant, with Wang reportedly planning to spend NT$2.5 million (or US$85,000) on the occasion.

The Mainland-born Wang is an executive director with the restaurant chain South Beauty Restaurants. His father is the founder and chairman of the group, a business that reportedly has a net worth of NT$11.5 billion. The 29 year old Wang certainly has a way with the women. Previous girlfriends include actresses Zhang Ziyi and Kitty Zhang, and he can now add Hsu to the list of photogenic conquests.

Soon after the wedding announcement, Barbie Hsu also revealed that she would take a break from movies for an indefinite period. She said that she hoped to have children soon, adding fuel to the rumours that she is already pregnant. Those rumours first surfaced after her surprise engagement announcement in October last year and subsequent hasty initial marriage. Although Hsu has said she won't be making any movies or TV shows, she hasn't closed the door on lucrative TV commercials. She is already a serial endorser of products and services; Wikipedia's entry on her lists 21 brands that she promotes.

Not everyone will mourn the halt to her acting career. The Golden Broom awards, China's equivalent to the Golden Raspberries, last month nominated Hsu in the Most Disappointing Actress category. Hsu wasn't nominated for just one performance but three: Future X-Cops, Adventure of the King, and Reign of Assassins. I haven't seen the first two so can't comment, although she has already won a Golden Donkey, Taiwan's version of the Golden Raspberries, for Adventure of the King. The nomination for Reign of Assassins however seems a bit harsh, but unfortunately for Hsu, she has built a reputation over the years. Say the name Barbie Hsu and Chinese almost inevitably comment on her bad acting, and at times it seems like an almost knee-jerk reaction.

Hsu started her showbiz career initially as a singer, in a girl group called ASOS with her younger sister Dee Hsu. The two went on to acheive greater fame as co-hosts of the Taiwanese TV variety show, 100% Entertainment, a gig they held from 1998 to 2005. Hsu's career really took off in 2001 when she starred in the hit Taiwanese idol drama Meteor Garden and its sequel Meteor Garden II the following year. She is a regular on the FHM's Sexiest Women in the World lists and was also voted one of PETA's Sexiest Vegetarians in 2009.

Show Luo's New Release Dominates Album Sales

2011-02-26T17:26:00.005+11:00

Taiwan's King of Dance Music, Show Luo (罗志祥, pinyin: Luó Zhīxiáng), released his latest album Only For You (独一无二, pinyin: Dúyīwúèr) on February 18, and it has achieved a domination of sales that has rarely if ever been equalled. The G Music charts, which measure album sales in Taiwan, showed that it had a staggering 74.6 percent of the share of Chinese language record sales for the week 18 to 24 February. That means three out of every four records sold was Only For You, way way ahead of the second biggest selling album, Will Pan's 808. Even looking at the figures for all record sales, including Western releases, Show Luo's sales numbers are still stunning. Just under half of all records sold (48.4 percent) in Taiwan last week were Only For You.

Only For You's success follows on from that of his previous release, Rashomon, which was Taiwan's biggest selling album of 2010 (including ten weeks as the number one seller). The previous year he had the number two selling record with Trendy Man. All of which begs the question: can Show Luo now be hailed Taiwan's biggest pop superstar, ahead of previous claimants to the position like Jay Chou, Jolin Tsai and S.H.E?

Only For You is the 31 year old singer's eighth studio album since he first released his debut record in 2003. Before that he was a member of two boy bands, the Four Heavenly Kings and Romeo. Ironically, considering he's now one of the hottest properties in Mandopop, no record company wanted to sign him after Romeo was disbanded in 2000. He had to wait three years until Avex took a chance on him and signed him up. But it has been first EMI Music and now Gold Typhoon who have benefitted most from having him in their record company stable.

First single from Only For You was, uncharacteristically, a ballad, What Am I Fighting For? (拼什么?). But he was back in familiar territory with the release of the title track, a blistering dance track, as the second single. A third single has been released, the cutesy and boppy Touch My Heart, which currently holds the number one spot on the MTV Taiwan singles chart. The Only For You single also made MTV's number one, while What Am I Fighting For? reached number 3.

Chinese TV Series Palace A Ratings Hit

2011-02-23T21:44:00.004+11:00

Mainland China's first big idol drama of the year, Palace (宫, pinyin: Gōng) has been a major hit for its producers, Hunan TV. It gained an impressive ratings figure of 1.99 for its opening episode on January 31, which translates into 8.24 percent of the viewing audience. This figure betters the ratings for the premiere of another smash hit idol drama, Meteor Shower in 2009.

Palace combines the soap opera elements (and storylines) of Taiwan-Korea idol dramas with the costume dramas so beloved by Hong Kong TV, and also throws a bit of time travel into the mix. The heroine of the story, played by 24 year old Yang Mi (杨幂), is a simple-hearted modern girl (as they so often are in these idol dramas) who by accident is thrown back into 18th century Imperial China where she winds up in the court of Emperor Kangzi. Much palace intrigue then ensues with our heroine using her knowledge of the future to her advantage. There are also several romantic twists and turns as she first rebuffs one of the Emperor's sons (Zhong Fengyan), falls in love with another son, played by Mickey He (何晟铭, pinyin: Hé Shèngmíng) before discovering his true (evil) nature, and makes an enemy of a third son, played by Feng Shaofeng (冯绍峰), before discovering his true (good-hearted) nature and falling in love.

The two leads, Yang Mi and Feng Shaofeng, were already well-known TV stars in China, though this series has lifted their stardom to another level. Yang came to prominence in the 2006 TV series Return of the Condor Heroes, and appeared in recent blockbuster shows Chinese Paladin 3, Dream of the Red Chamber and Schemes of a Beauty. The 32 year old Feng gained fame in the Mainland-Hong Kong co-production The Drive of Life in 2007, and also starred in Schemes of a Beauty. Palace also stars well-known Hong Kong TV stars Maggie Shiu and Sonija Kwok.

The series has continued to build on its strong ratings debut, climbing episode by episode. By episode 16 of the 39 episode series, it had a rating of 3.23 or 11.2 percent. Although the nationwide ratings for the remainder of the series are yet to be published at the time of writing, ratings figures for 27 capital cities have been released. They show it had a phenomenal 16.75 percent audience share for the final episode screened on 21 February. (Ratings figures have been taken from Wikipedia's Chinese-language entry for Palace, which I can't link to unfortunately).

Zhao Benshan Spring Festival's "King of Comedy" for 13th Time

2011-02-20T20:47:00.000+11:00

Arguably the most watched program on Chinese TV is CCTV's New Year's Gala (中国中央电视台春节联欢晚会). It's broadcast every year on the eve of the Chinese Spring Festival, and attracts an audience of over 700 million people, boasting ratings figures of over 90 percent. The biggest names in Chinese entertainment jostle with starry-eyed newcomers for a chance to appear on the program, and many a successful career has been launched via an appearance on the show.

On the fifteenth day of the Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival Gala is held, also on CCTV, and winners are announced for the most popular comedy, singing, dancing and other performance acts of the Gala show, as voted by viewers. Comedian Zhao Benshan (赵本山), who has been appearing on the New Year's Gala since 1987, this year won his 13th award. The 52 year old veteran (pictured accepting his award) and his co-performer Xiao Shenyang (小沈阳) were awarded for a crosstalk (or stand-up comedy) routine they performed together. Crosstalk is one of the staples of the Gala show - for more information about this uniquely Chinese style of entertainment, see this post.

In the longer comedy sketch category, the award went to another veteran comedian Feng Gong (冯巩) and actress-singer Song Jia (宋佳). The 53 year old Feng, known for his mournful hang-dog face, is another Spring Festival regular. Song Jia, also known as Xiao Song Jia or Little Song Jia to distinguish her from an older actress of the same name, is at 30 years old a newcomer making her New Year's Gala debut this year.

Most popular singer was Song Zuying (宋祖英), arguably China's most-renowned soprano, who sang Deep Blue Sky (天蓝蓝) at the show. A member of the Miao ethnic minority, Song was born in the Miao Autonomous Region in Hunan, central China, in 1966. She began her singing career in the Chinese Navy (she actually holds the rank of Rear Admiral, believe it or not), and has performed several times previously on the New Year's Gala. She has been nominated for a Grammy, performed in concert houses the world over, and sang a duet with Placido Domingo at the Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremony. And for lovers of salacious gossip, she has also long been rumoured to have been the mistress of former Chinese president, Jiang Zemin.

Chinese magician Fu Yandong (傅琰东) won the award in the "Other Performances" category. His magic act was not without controversy; it involved getting half a dozen fish in a tank to swim in formation, seemingly at his command. The act however received complaints from animal rights activists, who contended that to create the illusion the fish were either fed or implanted with magnets.

Finally there were Special Awards given to three acts who represent "grassroot performers", or performers from humble origins who are given their opportunity at the Gala to showcase their talents. This year featured two acts that first came to public attention when videos of them were shown online. Xuri Yanggang (旭日阳刚, roughly translated as Masculine Sunshine) are Wang Xu and Liu Gang, a duo of migrant workers, former farmers that had moved to the city for work. Last year an amateur video of them singing a cover version of the ballad In the Spring became an online sensation. Then at the end of last year they won a reality TV show, I Want to Perform on New Year's Gala (我要上春晚), earning them a spot on the Gala show. Ren Yueli caught the public eye in much the same way. She's better known simply as Xidan Girl (西单女孩), from an online video of her busking at Beijing's Xidan subway station that earned millions of hits when it was posted on the net in 2009. (For comprehensive background on Xidan Girl, see this China Smack post.) A hip hop dance group from Shenzhen also shared the Special Awards with their act, Let the Workers Have the Power.

The award winners are listed here, but in Chinese.

Merry-Go-Round A Surprise No 1 on HKFCA List

2011-02-18T20:53:00.006+11:00

The Hong Kong Film Critics Association (HKFCA), not to be confused with the better-known Hong Kong Film Critics Society, has released its Top Ten Chinese Films of 2010. The list was published back in January, however I've only just stumbled upon it. The HKFCA has a reputation for sometimes eccentric judgement. Its annual Golden Bauhinia Awards, after all, were suspended after 2007 partly because of the ongoing controversy over its award choices (although more because most of the winners didn't turn up to the ceremony). HKFCA's choice of number 1 film for 2010, Merry-Go-Round (东风破), will again have some people scratching their heads.

Merry-Go-Round is an arthouse drama with two intermingled storylines - one set in the present, the other in the 1930s. It stars some pop star actors like Ella Koon, Laurence Chou, Denise Ho and Wilfred Lau, alongside a few Hong Kong veterans including Teddy Robin Kwan (currently experiencing a career renaissance) and Nora Miao. It was jointly directed by Yan Yan Mak (who also wrote and produced it) and Clement Cheng, the man behind 2010's surprise hit, Gallants. From critics (other than, presumably, the Hong Kong Film Critics Association) Merry-Go-Round earned some praise for its cinematography and warm nostalgia, but was also panned for its screenplay and intrusive soundtrack. An example is this review at Film Business Asia.

Number two on the list was the detective story set in China's Tang Dynasty, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, a Best Film nominee at the upcoming Hong Kong Film Awards. At number three is Pang Ho-cheung's sharp-tongued romantic comedy Love in a Puff, starring Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue as white-collar fugitives from Hong Kong's indoor smoking bans.

The rest of the list provides mostly predictable choices, including mainland China's biggest-grossing film of 2010, Aftershock, the Taiwan gangster film Monga, the martial arts spectacular Reign of Assassins, and the aforementioned Gallants, winner of Best Film at the Hong Kong Film Critics Awards. Barbara Wong's hit-and-miss romance Break Up Club is the surprise addition to the list at number 5. A success at the Hong Kong box office, it also divided critics, some praising it for its fresh inventiveness, while others condemned it for being insubstantial and too clever for its own good.

The full list is as follows:

Merry-Go-Round (东风破)
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (狄仁杰之通天帝国)
Love in a Puff (志明与春娇)
Under the Hawthorn Tree (山楂树之恋)
Break Up Club (分手说爱你)
The Stool Pigeon (线人)
Aftershock (唐山大地震)
Reign of Assassins (剑雨)
Gallants (打擂台)
Monga (艋舺)

Now There's a New Naked Chef...Literally

2011-02-16T21:04:00.006+11:00

UK TV chef Jamie Oliver first rose to fame with his TV series The Naked Chef in which he, happily, did not appear naked but did preach the virtues of simple cooking. However someone in Hong Kong has taken the Naked Chef concept literally. Jessie Au, producer of Hong Kong's version of Naked News, has come up with an idea for a cooking show with a difference. The TV chef, Flora Cheung (张静思, pinyin: Zhāng Jìngsī), will cook in the nude...well, almost - a transparent cooking apron will protect her from nasty spills.

Watch out for batter splashes!

The show will screen on NOW TV's adult pay TV channel Ice Fire, and will screen twice a month. It's expected to make its debut later this month. The show's creators hope Naked Chef (not officially it's English title, if in fact it has one) will get more male viewers interested in cooking. Although the show's in Cantonese, as hostess Cheung helpfully explained, viewers should still be able to follow what's going on.

Flora Cheung is a 26 year old model with little previous hosting experience and no professional cooking experience. She's probably best known as a former Miss Hong Kong contestant who created a scandal when it was revealed she had taken part in a nude photoshoot.

Della Ding's Soul Mate At Number 1

2011-02-12T23:03:00.007+11:00

Mainland-born singer Della Ding (叮当) has climbed to the top of Taiwan's G Music album charts with her new release Soul Mate (未來的情人). In the first two weeks of its release it was the number 2 selling album in Taiwan, but this week managed to edge past the previous number 1, Wilbur Pan's 808, in sales. According to G Music Soul Mate had 21.23 percent of album sales for the week 4 February to 10 February, while 808 had 20.37 percent, ending Pan's three-week stay at the top of the charts.

Della Ding is also known as Della Wu, also known as Ding Dang, and also known simply as Della, and though it sounds like a criminal's rap sheet, she's actually a petite 28 year old from Zhejiang province. She ran away from home at the age of 18 with dreams of becoming a professional singer. For five years she sang in bars, took singing and dancing lessons, then made the big move to Mandopop headquarters, Taiwan. She released her first album in 2007, appropriately named Run Away From Home, on the record label Rock Records, Taiwan's biggest independent record label.

She is best known for her love ballads, especially on her early records, although she included more dance numbers on her third album, Night Owl released in 2009. She has also collaborated with record label-mates Mayday on several songs, and sung the theme song to the popular TV drama Autumn's Concerto. Her career appears to be going from strength to strength, with a successful concert tour in 2010. Soul Mate, her fifth studio album might just be the record that propels her to superstar status.

Helping out on the album are Mayday, again, UK dance music producer Pete Martin, and Golden Melody winning songwriter Chung Cheng-Hu. Singles released so far are One Half (一半), a slow tempo ballad, and Cold Blooded Creature (冷血動物) which has been used in an online computer game (阿洛斯) and also featured in the Korean drama series The Queen Returns.

Detective Dee Most Nominated for HK Film Awards

2011-02-10T21:39:00.004+11:00

Nominees for the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards were announced on 8 February, and the action fantasy Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (狄仁杰之通天帝国) leads the way with 13 nominations. It was a golden year for action films with two other big budget martial arts actioners earning multiple nominations. Reign of Assassins (剑雨) earned 11 nominations, and Ip Man 2 (叶问2) has been nominated in 10 categories. In fact all five nominees for Best Film are action films, with the above three joined by the police drama The Stool Pigeon (线人) and the retro-martial arts film Gallants (打擂台). Gallants has already won Best Film at the Hong Kong Film Critics Awards announced last month.

Last year's Best Actor winner Nick Cheung (张家辉) is up for the award again, for his portrayal of a police detective suffering pangs of conscience in The Stool Pigeon. His co-star, Nicholas Tse (谢霆锋), who plays an informant in the movie, is also in the running, having already picked up a Hong Kong Performing Artists Guild award at the beginning of the year. Hong Kong superstars Chow Yun-Fat (周润发) and Jacky Cheung (张学友) are other nominees, Chow for his portrayal of Confucius in the biopic of the same name, and Cheung for his performance in the romantic comedy Crossing Hennessy.

Another Hong Kong big name Tony Leung Ka-Fai (梁家輝), a three-time Best Actor winner, has been nominated in two categories. As well as another Best Actor nomination for Bruce Lee, My Brother, Leung is also a Best Supporting Actor nominee for Detective Dee. He will face strong competition in the Supporting Actor category from Teddy Robin Kwan (泰迪罗宾) in Gallants, who won Best Actor award at the Hong Kong Film Critics awards for his performance.

The Best Actress category has several strong nominees. HK Film Critics winner Miriam Yeung (杨千嬅) leads the nominees for her performance in Love in a Puff. Fiona Sit (薛凯琪), who won a HK Performing Artist Guild Award for the romantic comedy Break Up Club, is also nominated. Carina Lau (刘嘉玲), who is now approaching veteran status after a career spanning more than 25 years, will be sentimental favourite. She has been nominated for her performance as the Tang Dynasty empress Wu Zetian in Detective Dee. It is her sixth Hong Kong Film Award nomination, an award that has so far eluded her. Other nominees are Josie Ho (何超仪) in the dark comedy/slasher film Dream Home, and mainland actress Tang Wei (汤唯) in Crossing Hennessy.

All the directors of the Best Film nominees are up for Best Director. They are Tsui Hark (Detective Dee), Derek Kwok and Clement Cheng (Gallants), Yip Wai-Shun (Ip Man 2), Su Chao-Pin (Reign of Assassins), and Dante Lam (The Stool Pigeon).

The full list of nominees can be found at this CRI English article. The awards will be announced on April 17.

Taiwan's HitFM Top 100 Singles of 2010

2011-02-06T22:59:00.006+11:00

Hit FM, one of the most popular music radio stations in Taiwan, has been releasing its annual Top 100 Singles since 1998. The results are based on weekly charts, sales volume and online polls, and the 2010 edition was announced last month. At number one was Taiwan's unofficial Queen of Pop, Jolin Tsai (蔡依林, pinyin: Cài Yīlín, pictured right) with the electronic dance number Honey Trap (美人计). The single was the first released from her Myself album, and came with an impressive music video by Korean MV director Cha Eun Taek.

It's the third time Jolin has had the number one song of the year; she also achieved the feat in 2007 (Sun Will Never Set), and in 2006 with her duet with David Tao, Marry Me Today. Jolin had another two songs in this year's top 100: Nothing Left To Say (无言以对) at number 20, and Love Player (玩爱之徒) at number 55.

Jay Chou (周杰伦, pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún) had to settle for the number two spot, with his single Superman Can't Fly (超人不会飞 - and another song with a great video). The Chairman, who finished top of the singles charts in 2002, 2004 and 2005, has now had a song in the annual top three an amazing nine times in the past ten years. He was also the only artist in 2010 to have more than one song in the top ten. Rain Falls All Night (雨下一整晚) was placed at number 10. A third song, the title track from The Era album (跨时代), came in at number 39.

Justin Bieber was the highest-ranked foreigner on the Top 100, with the ubiquitous Baby, and Korean superstar boy band Super Junior also finished in the top five with Bonamana (Beauty). Sandwiched between them at number 4 is the Taiwan-born, Canadian-raised Elva Hsiao (萧亚轩, pinyin: Xiāo Yǎxuān) with the ballad Wrong Man (错的人). The song was from her Miss Elva album, another album to provide three songs to the top 100 - the other two were Miss Cool (潇洒小姐) and Rhapsody (狂想∙曲).

The top 10 were as follows:
1. Honey Trap (美人计) - Jolin Tsai
2. Superman Can't Fly (超人不会飞) - Jay Chou
3. Baby - Justin Bieber
4. Wrong Man (错的人) - Elva Hsiao
5. Bonamana - Super Junior
6. All The Things You Never Knew (你不知道的事) - Leeholm Wang (王力宏, pinyin: Wáng Lìhóng)
7. SHERO - S.H.E
8. Love The Way You Lie - Eminem and Rihanna
9. The Leading Role (爱的主场秀) - Show Luo (罗志祥, pinyin: Luó Zhīxiáng)
10. Rain Falls All Night (雨下一整晚) - Jay Chou

The full Top 100 can be found here, but only in Chinese.

Show Luo's Rashomon The Number 1 Selling Album in 2010

2011-02-04T23:27:00.005+11:00

There were no surprises with the announcement by the PMW Music website that Show Luo (罗志祥, pinyin: Luó Zhīxiáng) had the biggest-selling album in Taiwan in 2010 with Rashomon (罗生门). The studio album, his seventh, spent a record-equalling 10 weeks on the top of the Taiwanese album charts and sold over 150,000 copies in Taiwan. The album also sporned five hit singles, three of which made Taiwan's Hit FM Annual Top 100 Singles Chart. PMW bases its annual rankings on both album sales and digital downloads, making it a more accurate barometer of album popularity.

The 31 year old Show, dubbed Asia's Dance King because of his dancing skills and predominant style of music, has been riding a wave of success over the past couple of years. In 2007 he won the prestigious Golden Melody Award for Most Popular Male Artist, and in 2009 his album Trendy Man was the second-biggest selling album of the year. That accolade was tarnished slightly with accusations that his record company had inflated sales of the record. However last year there was no dispute that his was the dominant record of the year, even ahead of superstars like Jay Chou (周杰伦, pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún) and Jolin Tsai (蔡依林, pinyin: Cài Yīlín).

Jay Chou's 10th studio album, The Era (跨时代), had to settle for second position instead. The record spent three weeks at the top position on the weekly G Music charts - a relatively disappointing result no doubt for the record company JVR Music. His previous album, Capricorn, had been the biggest selling album of 2008.

Another former holder of the biggest album of the year crown, Jolin Tsai, has the third-biggest selling album of 2010. Myself, her 11th studio album and released in August, spent four weeks in total in the top position of the G Music charts. Like Rashomon, the album is predominantly dance music. The previous year, her album Butterfly had been the biggest selling album of 2009. Although this year she had to settle for third place, she did have the number 1 single of the year according to Hit FM with Honey Trap (美人计), the first single from Myself.

In fourth place is singer-songwriter Kenji Wu (吴克群, pinyin: Wú Kèqún) with his sixth album, Love Me, Hate Me (爱我恨我). The album marked a change of pace for the 31 year old singer, with more up-tempo dance numbers on display. But it wasn't all dance music that Taiwanese music fans were buying in 2010. The number five selling album of 2010 was by singer-actress Rainie Yang (杨丞琳, pinyin: Yáng Chénglín). Her fifth album, Rainie & Love...? (雨爱), is predominantly made up of Mandopop ballads, including four from the soundtrack of the romantic comedy TV series Hi My Sweetheart, which she also starred in.

The top ten albums of 2010, according to PMW Music are:
1. Rashomon - Show Luo
2. The Era - Jay Chou
3. Myself - Jolin Tsai
4. Love Me, Hate Me - Kenji Wu
5. Rainie & Love...? - Rainie Yang
6. Miss Elva - Elva Hsiao
7. To Hebe - Hebe Tien
8. Together - René Liu
9. SHERO - S.H.E
10. The 18 Martial Arts - Leehom Wang

Source: XinMSN

January's Most Newsworthy: Selina Jen

2011-02-02T21:26:00.001+11:00

Flavour of the Month is not the right term this time, but one person has dominated Chinese entertainment headlines over the month just passed. When Selina Jen (任家萱, pinyin: Rèn Jiāxuān) of one of Taiwan's most popular groups, S.H.E, sustained shocking burns in an on-set accident, it was arguably the biggest entertainment story in China of 2010. The accident happened on October 22, while Selina was filming an episode of the TV series, I Have a Date With Spring, in Shanghai. Selina and her co-star, mainland actor Yu Haoming, were filming a scene where they had to run from a burning building. But the scene went awry when explosions were set off at the wrong time, engulfing the two stars in flames.

Both Selina and Yu received third-degree burns, Selina to 53 percent of her body. Selina was hospitalised for over 90 days, much of it in intensive care, and underwent surgery and skin grafts. It has been the darkest of times for the 29 year old singer with the gentle nature; however last month she and her fans began to receive some good news. On January 17 she made her first public appearance, alongside her two other S.H.E bandmates. Already hugely popular, the 29 year old singer would have won over even more fans with the courage she displayed facing the media. In an emotional speech she showed bravery and determination, vowing that she would return to the group. She was finally released from hospital on 19 January, though spare a thought for Yu who remains hospitalised.

Initially after the accident there was a public silence from the television makers and the production company, Hunan TV, despite criticism over the lack of safety measures for actors. Hunan TV denied rumours that the pyrotechnics staff were at fault, instead blaming faulty equipment. The series director, Chen Ming-chang, issued an apology on his blog (incurring more criticism for not fronting the media directly). Then in a second apology Chen accepted the blame for not overseeing the filming properly. Meanwhile Selina's record company, HIM International Music, was in negotiations with Hunan TV over compensation. The good news continued for Selina when it was just announced that Hunan TV have agreed to a compensation package that includes all her medical and rehabilitation expenses, and a payment equivalent to one year's earnings. The production company also issued an apology.

In more good news, some companies provided a show of support to Selina last month by expressing their intentions to have her endorse their products. HIM International Music announced that five companies had invited Selina to endorse products ranging from clothes to fruit juice to skin care products. The singer had earlier admitted to fearing that with minor burns to her face it might be difficult to relaunch her career again. Although those around her have been emphasising that her recovery will be slow and challenging, the positive news over the last few weeks has made the outlook much more optimistic than in the gloomy months after the accident.

City of Sadness Named Greatest Chinese Film

2011-02-01T21:31:00.004+11:00

The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, organisers of the prestigious Golden Horse Awards, have announced the 100 Greatest Chinese-language Films. The Taiwanese historical drama A City of Sadness (悲情城市) was voted number one. Directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien (侯孝贤, pinyin: Hóu Xiàoxián), the film is set in 1947 (the year Hou was born) and depicts the events that followed after the defeated Kuomintang Government fled mainland China and arrived in Taiwan. The film focuses on the impact on one family of the "White Terror" wreaked by the Kuomintang.

The 100 Greatest Films was compiled through a survey of over 120 Chinese film critics, academics, producers, directors, actors and writers. Ironically, A City of Sadness failed to win the Golden Horse Award when it was released, although it did pick up the Golden Lion Award at the 1989 Venice Film Festival. Five years ago, when the Hong Kong Film Awards named their similar Best 100 Chinese Films, City of Sadness was at number 5. The Hong Kong Film Awards instead named the 1948 mainland film Spring in a Small Town (小城之春) at number 1 (which in turn is number 5 on the Golden Horse list).

A City of Sadness director Hou Hsiao-Hsien was a favourite with voters, three of his films being named in the top ten. Besides A City of Sadness, the 1985 autobiographical coming-of-age film A Time to Live, A Time to Die (童年往事) was ranked number 3, and its sequel Dust in the Wind (恋恋风尘) was at equal 7. In total, Hou had seven films in the top 100, more than any other director.

Just pipped for first place was the four-hour long arthouse favourite A Brighter Summer Day (牯岭街少年杀人事件) from 1991. The film is directed by Edward Yang (杨德昌, pinyin: Yáng Déchāng) who, like Hou Hsiao-Hsien, was one of Taiwan's New Wave filmmakers who came to prominence in the 1980s. Although the story centres on a murder case , gangs and a teenage romance, A Brighter Summer Day also has political overtones, depicting the social unrest of the time (the sixties).

Yang had six films in the top 100, and a second film Yi Yi: A One and a Two (一一) in the top ten. Other filmmakers with multiple entries in the top 100 were the mainland's Zhang Yimou and Hong Kong's Wong Kar-Wai - both with five apiece. Like Yang, Wong Kar-Wai had two films in the top ten, including the highest-ranked Hong Kong film, Days of Being Wild (阿飞正传). Taiwan's Ang Lee had four films on the list - the international blockbuster Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (卧虎藏龙) being his highest rated. Also with four films were Taiwan's Tsai Ming-liang and Hong Kong's Ann Hui.

The Golden Horse Top 100 is very much Taiwan-centric - seven of the top ten films are Taiwanese - just as the Hong Kong Film Awards list was heavily skewered towards Hong Kong films. However these lists are guaranteed never to please everyone. My personal top three Chinese films for example could only manage rankings of 18, equal 44 and equal 91.

The Top Ten is as follows:
1. A City of Sadness - Hou Hsiao-hsien, Taiwan, 1989
2. A Brighter Summer Day - Edward Yang, Taiwan, 1991
3. A Time to Live, A Time to Die - Hou Hsiao-hsien, Taiwan 1985
4. Days of Being Wild - Wong Kar-Wai, Hong Kong, 1990
5. Spring in a Small Town - Fei Mu, mainland China, 1948
6. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Ang Lee, Taiwan, HK, US, China, 2000
7. Yi Yi: A One and a Two - Edward Yang, Taiwan,
7. Dust in the Wind - Hou Hsiao-hsien, Taiwan,
9. Dragon Gate Inn (龙门客栈) - King Hu, Taiwan, 1967
9. In the Mood for Love (花样年华) - Wong Kar-Wai, Hong Kong, 2000

The list in full can be found at this Film Business Asia article.

Let The Bullets Fly Now China's Highest Earning Film

2011-01-30T22:18:00.005+11:00

The comedy action film Let the Bullets Fly (让子弹飞) last week became the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time. The previous holder of that record, Aftershock, the blockbuster drama about the 1976 Tangshan earthquake and its aftermath, had earned RMB647 million (about US$100 million). At last report, Let the Bullets Fly had surpassed it with RMB660 million. Other reports have the domestic box office record by Aftershock at RMB673 million, but as Let the Bullets Fly is still showing in cinemas, this figure too should be overtaken sometime during the Spring Festival holiday season.

Let the Bullets Fly is directed by Jiang Wen (姜文), who also stars in it alongside Chow Yun-Fat (周润发, pinyin: Zhōu Rùnfā) and Ge You (葛优). Produced by the State-run China Film Group, it was released in mid-December to favourable reviews and even stronger word of mouth. It has been variously described as an Eastern Western or Oriental Western, and mixes action, a bit of violence and plenty of laughs. This contrasts it with the previous box office kings Aftershock and The Founding of a Republic, whose worthy and uplifting subject matters would certainly have pleased the Chinese authorities. Some observers (the Screening China blog is just one example) have noted how Let the Bullets Fly pushes the boundaries with its satirical take on official corruption.

Despite its success Let the Bullets Fly still falls well short of the overall record for box office receipts in China. The US blockbuster Avatar, released earlier in 2010, holds that record with box office earnings of $US207 million (RMB1,362 million). Box office figures were taken from the Film Business Asia, The Hollywood Reporter and People's Daily websites.

Jane Zhang Wins Her 5th Beijing Pop Music Awards

2011-01-26T23:16:00.007+11:00

The 2010 Beijing Pop Music Awards, one of mainland China's major music awards, were announced on 17 January. Also known as the Sprite Music Awards, the ceremony honours artists from the mainland as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Jane Zhang (张靓颖, pinyin: Zhāng Liàngyǐng, pictured) wept tears of joy when she was named Best Mainland Female Artist for the fifth successive time. 26 year-old Zhang first achieved fame through her performances in the Super Girl TV singing contest back in 2005. In 2010 she released her fourth album, Believe in Jane, represented China at the Asia Song Festival, and was even named by Asia's Sexiest Vegetarian by PETA. Besides winnng the Best Female Artist prize she also won Album of the Year, and her song If This Is Love (如果这就是爱情) was one of the Annual Golden Songs.

Li Yuchun (李宇春), who won the Super Girl contest in 2005, was named Favourite Female Singer. She too collected multiple awards, winning Best Female Stage Performer and also with a song in the Annual Golden Songs list, Meet You at the Next Crossing (下个路口见) - making it three awards apiece for the great rivals.

In the male categories, Best Male Artist went to the 41 year old veteran Sun Nan (孙楠), winning the award for the seventh time. In a career spanning over 20 years Sun is best known for his love ballads belted out in his trademark powerful tenor. In an eventful 2010 he also won Best Singer at the MTV-CCTV Music Awards, but on a down note, found himself entangled in a messy child custody battle with his ex-wife. Favourite Male Artist was awarded to Jason Zhang (张杰, pinyin: Zhāng Jié), another graduate from TV singing contests.

Corresponding Hong Kong/Taiwan awards were also handed out. Favourite Female Singer went to Hong Kong's two-time Golden Melody winning singer-actress Karen Mok (莫文蔚, pinyin: Mò Wénwèi). Taiwanese singer-actress, René Liu (刘若英, pinyin: Liú Ruòyīng) was named Best Female Singer. It was a case of experience triumphing over youth, with both recipients now in the forties. Taiwan superstar Jay Chou (周杰伦, pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún) won Favourite Male Singer, while Best Male Singer was taken home by Rochester, NY-born, Taiwan-based Leehom Wang (王力宏, pinyin: Wáng Lìhóng).

In the groups awards, pop duo and perennial winners Yu Quan (羽泉) were named Best Mainland Group, while Singapore's teenage twins By2, won the Hong Kong/Taiwan category. Four-piece folk act Xiao Jun & the Valley Residents (小娟与山谷里的居民) were named Best Band.

Here's a list of the night's major winners:
Best Male Singer (Mainland): Sun Nan
Best Male Singer (Taiwan/Hong Kong): Leehom Wang
Best Female Singer (Mainland): Jane Zhang
Best Female Singer (Taiwan/Hong Kong): René Liu
Favourite Male Singer (Mainland): Jason Zhang
Favourite Male Singer (Taiwan/Hong Kong): Jay Chou
Favourite Female Singer (Mainland): Li Yuchun
Favourite Female Singer (Taiwan/Hong Kong): Karen Mok
Most Popular New Act: Li Wei (李炜)
Most Popular Group (Mainland): Yu Quan
Most Popular Group (Taiwan/Hong Kong): By2
Most Popular Band: Xiao Jun & the Valley Residents
Album of the Year (Mainland): Believe in Jane - Jane Zhang
Album of the Year (Taiwan/Hong Kong): Era - Jay Chou
Best EP: Green Surging - Chen Chusheng ( 陈楚生)
Best Singer-Songwriter (Mainland) - Chen Chusheng
Best Singer-Songwriter (Taiwan/Hong Kong) - JJ Lin (林俊杰)
Best Female Stage Performance: Li Yuchun
Best Male Stage Performance: Wallace Chung ( 钟汉良)
Chinese Music Outstanding Achievement Award (Mainland): Mao Amin ( 毛阿敏)
Chinese Music Outstanding Achievement Award (Taiwan/Hong Kong): Chyi Chin (齐秦)
Annual Media Recommendation Award (Mainland): Man Jiang (满江)
Annual Media Recommendation Award (Taiwan/Hong Kong): Hebe Tien (田馥甄)
Media Recommendation Rock Music Award: Xie Tianxiao (谢天笑)

Annual Golden Songs
'Love of the Hawthorn Tree' Theme Song (山楂花) - Chen Chusheng
If This Is Love (如果这就是爱情) - Jane Zhang

'Love of the Hawthorn Tree' Theme (山楂花) - Shilei Chang
Eastern Fountain (东泉) - Kiki Gema
23 Seconds, 32 Years (23秒，32年) - Shang Wenjie
It's Okay To Be Lonely (寂寞寂寞就好) - Hebe Tien
To My 15-Year Old Self (给十五岁的自己) - René Liu
Happy (痛快) - Sun Nan
Exercises (练习题) - Vivi Jiang
This Is Called Love (这叫爱) - By2
Meet You At The Next Crossing (下个路口见) - Li Yuchun
Honey - Yao Yao
This Is Love (这，就是爱) - Jason Zhang
Chinese Calligraphy (中国字画) - Ji Long
All Because Of Love (只因为爱) - Yao Beina
Fireworks Cool Easily (烟花易冷) - Jay Chou
Missing You (想念式) - Allen Su
Baby (宝贝) - Karen Mok
If There Is An Afterlife (如果有来生) - Tan Weiwei
No Time (没时间) - Milk@Coffee
The Me You See Is Blue (你看到的我是蓝色的) - Li Xiaoyun
Never Mind (没关系) - Kenji Wu
Back To Back (背对背拥抱) - JJ Lin
Left Side Wing (左半边翅膀) - Xu Fei
The Most Beautiful Time (最美的时光) - Man Jiang
Rock Star - MIC Nantuan
Flower Days (那些花开的日子) - Shui Mu Nian Hua
How Wonderful (多好啊)- Yu Quan, Tan Weiwei & Xiao Jun

The full list of award winners can be found here, but in Chinese.

Eight is Lucky for Wilber Pan

2011-01-26T20:43:00.004+11:00

American-born singer and rapper Wilber Pan (潘玮柏, pinyin: Pān Wěibó) is the new number one position holder on Taiwan's G Music Album charts with his latest release, 808. It's his eighth studio album, and the number eight also holds special significance for him as he was born in August 1980. With over 26 percent of sales in the first week of its release, 808 was a clear number one for the week 14 to 20 January. According to Pan's record company Universal, the album holds the top spot on eight charts - there's that number 8 again.

First single from the album is called Most Wanted (全面通緝) which with its heavy use of synthesisers has a vaguely retro 80s feel to it. A second single has also been released, a slower tempo dance number called U U U. The album also contains We Are All Afraid of Pain (我们都怕痛), a standard Mandopop ballad. We Are All Afraid of Pain is the theme song from the TV drama Eternally Yours in which Pan co-stars with Sandrine Pinna.

Strong Chinese Representation Amongst Asian Film Award Nominees

2011-01-24T20:36:00.008+11:00

Nominees for the 5th Annual Asian Film Awards were announced on 20 January, with a strong contingent of Chinese films and actors in the running. Two of the six nominees for Best Film are Chinese productions: the epic drama Aftershock (唐山大地震), and the new "Oriental Western comedy" Let the Bullets Fly (让子弹飞), a mainland-Hong Kong co-production. Both films' directors, Feng Xiaogang (冯小刚) and Jiang Wen (姜文) respectively, are up for Best Director. Let the Bullets Fly also leads the nomination tally along with the Japanese drama, Confessions, both with five nominations.

Let the Bullets Fly leads the Asian Film Awards nomination race

Three of the five Best Actor nominees are Chinese. Veteran Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-Fat (周润发, pinyin: Zhōu Rùnfā) is nominated for his performance as a mobster in Let the Bullets Fly. Another veteran performer, Ge You (葛优), who co-starred with Chow in Let the Bullets Fly, earned a nomination for his role as a vengeful court physician in the newly released Chen Kaige historical epic, Sacrifice. The youngest of the nominees is 28 year-old Taiwanese actor Ethan Ruan (阮经天, pinyin: Ruǎn Jīngtiān) who played a gangster on the rise in Monga.

One of mainland China's most acclaimed actresses and wife of Aftershock director Feng Xiaogang, Xu Fan (徐帆) is up for Best Actress for her emotional portrayal in her husband's film. Also nominated is the Malaysian-born but Hong Kong raised Michelle Yeoh (杨紫琼, pinyin: Yáng Zǐqióng). The 48 year-old, best-known for her martial arts roles, was nominated for her performance as an assassin in John Woo's wuxia film Reign of Assassins.

In the Best Supporting Actor category Huang Xiaoming (黄晓明) gets his second nomination in a row. Last year he was nominated for the espionage thriller The Message, and this year for Sacrifice. Sammo Hung (洪金宝, pinyin: Hóng Jīnbǎo), another Hong Kong martial arts veteran, was nominated for Ip Man 2. The 59 year old, who began his career as a child actor in the early sixties, was also action director in the martial arts bioflic.

Only one Chinese actor was amongst the Best Supporting Actress nominees, but veteran Carina Lau (刘嘉玲, pinyin: Liú Jiālíng) is one of the early favourites. The Hong Kong star is nominated for Let the Bullets Fly in which she played a governor's mercenary wife.

The Asian Film Awards also awards a Best Newcomer prize. Nominees this year include rising Taiwanese actor Mark Chao (赵又廷, pinyin: Zhào Yòutíng) who made a big impression in the gangster film Monga. 23 year old Hong Kong singer, Aarif Lee (李治廷, pinyin: Lǐ Zhìtíng) was also nominated for the family drama Echoes of the Rainbow, a film in which he has already been awarded Best New Performer at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Zhou Dongyu (周冬雨), an unknown with no professional acting experience before chosen by Zhang Yimou to star in The Love of the Hawthorn Tree, also earned a nomination for her performance.

The Asian Film Awards are organised by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, and the winners will be announced on March 21. The full list of nominees can be found at the Society's website.

Joey Yung Wins Record 6th JSG Best Singer Award

2011-01-22T23:31:00.004+11:00

On 14 January the last of the big four Hong Kong music awards were held, the Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation for 2010. Joey Yung (容祖儿, pinyin: Róng Zǔér) won five awards on the night, including her sixth Most Popular Female Singer title. This breaks the previous record of five she had held with the late Anita Mui. Her other awards were Most Popular Commercial Song (绿野仙踪, Wizard of Oz), Most Popular Mandarin Song (信今生爱过, Believe I Loved This Life), as well as a song in the Top Ten Song Awards (破相, Disfigured).

Also in the female category, Miriam Yeung (杨千嬅, pinyin: Yáng Qiānhuà) won the consolation prize of Asia Pacific Most Popular Female Hong Kong Singer. The results were a direct reversal of last year’s, where Yeung won Most Popular Singer and Yung was awarded the Asia Pacific Hong Kong Singer award.

The Most Popular Male Singer award went to Leo Ku (古巨基, pinyin: Gǔ Jùjī), edging out last year’s winner Raymond Lam (林峯 Lin Feng). Again, it was a reversal of last year’s results with Lam picking up the Asia Pacific Most Popular Male Hong Kong Singer award that had been won by Ku in 2009. The results lend credence to the cynical theory that the awards are less about merit and are decided more so as to ensure awards are distributed evenly amongst participating record companies’ lineup of stars.

The Jade Solid Gold Awards were once arguably the most prestigious of Hong Kong’s music awards, but have been tarnished in recent years, and not just by the sometimes quite public negotiating that goes on between record companies and organisers on who gets what award. For the second year in a row, the awards were boycotted by the Big Four record companies – Universal, Sony, Warner and EMI. This explains the absence of the “Awards King” himself, Eason Chan, from any of the prizes. The reasons for the boycott were outlined in my blog post on last year’s awards.

Most Popular Group was awarded to RubberBand, helped by the absence of their main rivals because of the boycott. Janice Vidal (卫兰, pinyin: Wèi Lán) and JW won the Gold Song Gold Award with What Do Men Believe? (男人信什麽). JW was also named Most Popular Newcomer.

The Top Ten Songs were:
Ivana Wong - Song Bird (开笼雀)
Leo Ku - Theme from "No Regrets" 义海豪情
Miriam Yeung - 斗零踭
Raymond Lam - Until You Can No Longer Find Me 直到你找不到我
Andy Hui - Golden Mask (金钟罩)
Joey Yung - Disfigured 《破相》
Janice Vidal & JW - What Do Men Believe? (男人信什麽)
Justin Lo - Love Habit (爱的习惯)
Stephanie Cheng - K歌之后
Charlene Choi - Able To Let Go (放得低)

A full list of award winners can be found here at Kay's Entertainment blog.

Lotus Wang Resumes the No. 1 Position on G Music Charts

2011-01-18T20:55:00.004+11:00

Lotus Wang (王彩桦, pinyin: Wáng Cǎihuà) returned to the top of the G Music album charts with her record, 有唱有保庇 (untranslatable into English, so just called BoBee). The album had almost 20 percent of sales for the week 7 to 13 January, marking it’s second time in the top position (it was also number one three weeks ago).

The Taiwanese entertainer is an unlikely pop success story. It comes after 25 years in show business, where she started out singing in dance halls and hotels before moving on to TV hosting and acting. Then last year, at the age of 41 years, she decided to record an album, which must make her one of the oldest artists to release a debut pop record. 2010 turned out to be a year of new beginnings for Wang – she also published her first book in July.

Wang's initial plan was to release a cover of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance, but copyright restrictions put paid to that idea. Instead she looked closer to home and Korean girl group T ara, covering their catchy dance tune Bo Peep Bo Peep. Wang’s Taiwanese version, the title track of her album, has proved to be just as infectious as the original. A barrage of promotional appearances in the last month or so helped propel Bobee, with its mix of Taiwanese and Mandarin language songs, to the top position on the music sales chart.

Gallants Wins HK Film Critics Best Film Award

2011-01-16T10:37:00.005+11:00

The Hong Kong Film Critics Society held their 17th Annual Awards on January 10 and awarded the surprise packet film of 2010, Gallants (打擂台), the Best Film Award. The kung fu comedy starring a bunch of 65 year old veterans has outshone bigger budgeted and better promoted movies to be a hit with critics and the public alike.

Gallants plays tribute to the kung fu flicks of the 60s and 70s but updates its storyline in a modern setting. It was made by two relatively inexperienced directors, Derek Kwok and Clement Chong, but backed by two big name actors, Andy Lau and Gordon Lam. The Hong Kong Critics also named their 2010 Top Five films. Joining Gallants were Love in a Puff, Crossing Hennessy, La comédie humaine and The Stool Pigeon.

One of the stars of Gallants, Teddy Robin Kwan (泰迪罗宾, pinyin: Tàidí Luóbīn) was named Best Actor. Best-known as a singer-songwriter whose career was at its greatest heights in the 60s with his band Teddy Robin and the Playboys. He then moved on to film composing, winning a Golden Horse Award in 1982. He has also acted in several movies, usually in supporting roles. Nick Cheung (playing a detective in The Stool Pigeon) and Chapman To for his comic turn as a movie-loving hitman in La comédie humaine, were both short-listed for the award.

In the Best Actress category Cantopop singer and comic actor Miriam Yeung (杨千嬅, pinyin: Yáng Qiānhuà) finally broke through for her first acting award in a career that has spanned 15 years. While she has picked up awards for her singing, she has been previously overlooked for her screen performances. A comedy specialist, the 35 year old won for her performance as a cynical wedding planner in the romantic comedy The Perfect Wedding. Yeung beat mainland actress Tang Wei starring in another romcom, Crossing Hennessy, and rising Taiwanese star Guey Lun-Mei (The Stool Pigeon).

A list of winners can be found at this Wikipedia entry.

Eason Chan Wins 17 Awards in 10 Days

2011-01-14T21:20:00.006+11:00

RTHK, Hong Kong’s public broadcasting company, announced its 33rd annual awards on January 6. The big winner at what is Hong Kong’s longest-running music awards show, was Eason Chan (陈奕迅, pinyin: Chén Yìxùn). He won seven awards, which now brings his tally from the three major Hong Kong music awards held so far to 17 trophies. (The other two are the Metro Awards, announced on December 29, and the Chik Chak Ultimate Song Awards on January 1. The fourth major awards ceremony, the Jade Solid Gold Awards, will be held later this month).

Eason Chan’s awards included Most Outstanding Male Singer, Highest Selling Male Singer, and Most Honoured Gold Song of the Year (Tourbillon). In the Media Recommendation awards he won Male Singer of the Year and Song of the Year. Such has been the 36 year old’s dominance of the Hong Kong music scene over the past few years, that the media have dubbed him the Awards King (奖王).

In the Female category, honours were shared between Joey Yung (容祖儿, pinyin: Róng Zǔér), who won Most Outstanding Female singer, and Sammi Cheng (郑秀文, pinyin: Zhèng Xìuwén). 38 year old Cheng, one of Hong Kong’s richest celebrities, was named Highest Selling Female Singer and won the Media Recommendation Female Singer of the Year. The singer-actress is in phase two of the career, after a brief retirement between 2005 and 2007. The RTHK awards are her first since she won Highest Selling Female Singer back in 2002. Both singers had songs in the Top Ten Golden Songs: Sammi Cheng with Do Not Disturb Love, and Joey Yung with Disfigured. Yung in fact continues her remarkable run of having a song in the RTHK Top Ten every year since 2000.

Rock band Mr. were named Highest Selling Group, while Taiwanese six-piece indie band Sodagreen (苏打绿, pinyin: Sūdá lǜ) were named Best National (as distinct from Local) Group. RubberBand, who had won the group prize at the Clik Clak Awards, were named Most Improved Singers, while another indie group, the Hong Kong duo Sugar Club (糖兄妹, pinyin: Táng Xiōng Mèi) were awarded gold in the Best Newcomer category.

The list of RTHK Top Ten Golden Songs is as follows:
1. Tourbillon (陀飞轮) – Eason Chan
2. Love Habit (爱的习惯) – Justin Lo
3. Disfigured (破相) – Joey Yung
4. Sinner (罪人) – Hacken Lee
5. Space Elevator (天梯) – C All Star
6. Era (时代) – Leo Ku
7. The Overcast After Rain (雨过天阴) – Kay Tse
8. Do Not Disturb Love (不要惊动爱情) – Sammi Cheng
9. Test Love With Body (收身试爱) – Jade Kwan
10. Get Over You – G.E.M

RTHK’s prestigious Golden Needle, a lifetime achievement award, was given to the Taiwan-born, Canadian-raised and Hong Kong-based Sally Yeh (叶蒨文, pinyin: Yè Qiànwén). During the 80s and 90s Yeh was one of Cantopop’s biggest stars, and from 1990 to 1993 won a record four consecutive Most Popular Female Singer prizes at the Jade Solid Gold awards. She also won Best Female Artist at Taiwan’s Golden Melody awards in 1994. Yeh retired from the entertainment industry in the mid-1990s, but made a well-received comeback in 2002. She has also had a moderately successful acting career.

The full list of award winners can be found here.

Fan Bingbing heads the list of China’s Young, Rich and Famous

2011-01-13T20:33:00.007+11:00

The Chinese entertainment web portal, Sina.com, has calculated the 2010 earnings of entertainment stars under the age of 30. It then came up with a top 10 of Young Rich and Famous Chinese Celebrities (English translation at this Asian Fanatics post). The list is dominated by singers, who filled eight of the ten places. Five of the celebrities are Taiwanese, three are from mainland China, and just two are from Hong Kong – another symptom perhaps of the current poor health of the Hong Kong entertainment industry. Eight of the ten are women.

At the top of the list by a clear margin is mainland actress Fan Bingbing (范冰冰 - pictured above right), with an estimated income in 2010 of 62.5 million yuan (US$9.5 million). Although as an actress she is in demand as a box office drawcard, and she endorses a string of products, her earnings would also have been helped by her business dealings. The 29 year old has built a reputation as a wily businesswoman through her involvement in her own production company.

The three singers that make up Taiwanese girl group S.H.E occupy positions 2, 3 and 5 on the list. At number 2 is Selina Jen (任家萱, pinyin: Rèn Jiāxuān) with earnings of 43.5 million yuan (US$6.6 million) in 2010, in what was otherwise an annus horribilis for her. In October she suffered shocking injuries in an on-set accident while filming a new movie, I Have a Date with Spring. Three months later the 29 year old still remains in hospital with third-degree burns to over 50 percent of her body and her career in limbo.

The other two members of the group, Hebe Tien (田馥甄, pinyin: Tián Fūzhēn) and Ella Chen (陈嘉桦, pinyin: Chén Jiāhuà), earned 41 million yuan and 36 million yuan respectively. At number 4 is mainland singer Jane Zhang (张靓颖 Zhang Liangying), a former runner-up in the Chinese version of American Idol, Super Girls. In 2010 she earned 38 million yuan.

The highest ranked Hong Kong celebrity is Charlene Choi (蔡卓妍, pinyin - Cài Zhuóyán), one half of the singing duo Twins. The rankings probably underestimated her income as it doesn’t include earnings from her recordings. Almost half her 35.5 million yuan was earned through endorsements, with film earnings providing almost a third and the rest from concert ticket sales. Pop star Rainie Yang (杨丞琳, pinyin: Yáng Chénglín), Taiwan’s unofficial “Cute Princess” and official “Queen of Endorsements”, was ranked number 7.

Hong Kong-based singer Khalil Fong (方大同, pinyin: Fāng Dàtóng ) was the highest ranked male celebrity on the list at number 8. The Hawaiian-born R&B singer earned 26.85 million yuan in 2010. Jam Hsiao (萧敬腾 pinyin: Xiāo Jìngténg), at just 23 years old was the youngest in the top ten. Another graduate from a TV talent show, Taiwan’s One Million Star, the rising idol earned 26.85 million yuan in 2010. Rounding off the top ten is mainland actor Sun Li (孙俪), best-known for her television roles.

1. Fan Bingbing - 29yo Mainland actress - 62.5 million yuan (US$9.5 million)
2. Selina Jen - 29yo Taiwan singer - 43.5 million yuan (US$6.6 million)
3. Hebe Tien - 27 yo Taiwan singer - 41 million yuan (US$6.2 million)
4. Jane Zhang - 26yo Mainland singer - 38 million yuan (US$5.75 million)
5. Ella Chen - 29yo Taiwan singer - 36 million yuan (US$5.45 million)
6. Charlene Choi - 28yo Hong Kong singer - 35.5 million yuan (US$5.35 million)
7. Rainie Yang - 26yo Taiwan singer - 29.4 million yuan (US$4.45 million)
8. Khalil Fong - 27yo Hong Kong singer - 28.8 million yuan (US$4.35 million)
9. Jam Hsiao - 23yo Taiwan singer - 26.85 million yuan (US4.05 million)
10. Sun Li - 28yo Mainland actress - 26 million ($US3.9 million)

A Transformed Angie Lee Has G Music's First No 1 Album for 2011

2011-01-11T20:39:00.008+11:00

The weekly G Music charts, which measure album sales in Taiwan, show that the first number one album of 2011 goes to the relatively obscure Angie Lee (李爱绮, pinyin: Lǐ Aiqǐ). Her album, No.100 Love Road (恋爱路100号) had 17.84 percent of album sales for the week 31 December to 6 January.

The album is actually her 18th CD (she released her first album way back in 1988 when she was just 12 years old). But up until now the pint-sized singer has had a low profile and is little known outside Taiwan. The new album marks a transformation for the singer. She has changed her name, from her stage name of 李嘉 (Lǐ Jiā) to her birth name, 李爱绮. As part of her makeover she has engaged Jolin's hairstylist, and reportedly had some plastic surgery done. She then displayed the new, improved Angie Lee for all to see in a raunchy music video and bared all in a provocative photoshoot. No doubt that, plus all the promotional weight of a major record label (Warner) behind her, played a part in the strong sales for the album, released on Christmas Eve.

Several big name Taiwanese producers and song-writers have helped out on No.100 Love Road's production. The album, with 10 tracks in all, showcases a variety of musical styles ranging from rock and pop to folk, funk and a bit of hip hop. Several of the songs are sung in the native Taiwanese language, and the rest in Mandarin.

No.100 Love Road just edged out the new release of hip hop bad boy, Edison Chen (陈冠希, pinyin: Chén Guānxī). Chen's album, CONFUSION, his first since the scandal that interrupted his career in 2008 (this post provides some background), retains its position at number 2 on the G Music chart with 15.13 percent of sales.

Chik Chak Ultimate Song Awards Presentation

2011-01-09T21:43:00.007+11:00

This blog has recently returned from a six-month break, and it seems nothing has changed in the Hong Kong entertainment scene. While TVB recycles hit television series (see my previous post on 2010’s top rating shows), the same singers continue to dominate Hong Kong’s pop music awards shows.

Joey Yung celebrates - but mind you don't take an eye out with that!

Chik Chak 903 radio station held its Ultimate Song Awards Presentation 2010 on New Year’s Day, and the role of honour was almost identical to 2009’s list of winners. Joey Yung (容祖儿, pinyin: Róng Zǔér) was named Best Female Singer again, collecting the award for a record sixth time. And just like last year, she was toppled by actress/singer Miriam Yeung (杨千嬅, pinyin: Yáng Qiānhuà) in the Favourite Female Singer category. Both singers were also represented on Chik Chak’s Top Ten Songs of 2010: Joey Yung was at number 4 with Peach Blossom Adventure, and Miriam Yeung had the number 10 song, I Am I.

Eason Chan (陈奕迅, pinyin: Chén Yìxùn) continues to dominate the male section of Hong Kong singing awards. He repeated his success in 2009 to be named Best Male singer, and took home a total of five awards. He was also named Favourite Male Singer, had Album of the Year (Time Flies, 时日如飞) and Favourite Song (Tourbillon). Tourbillon was also on the list of Chik Chak’s Top Ten Songs.

There was a slight changing of the guard in the Groups category. Hip hop duo FAMA (农夫, pinyin: Nóng Fū) edged out last year’s winners RubberBand for the Best Group award, while RubberBand had to settle for Favourite Group award. RubberBand also had the number 1 song on the Chik Chak Top 10 with SimpleLoveSong. The 2009 winner of Favourite Group, Mr., didn’t go home empty-handed. Their song Black and White Fanatic was ranked number 2 in the Top 10 songs.

The Top 10 Songs of 2010 were:
1. RubberBand - Simple Love Song
2. Mr. - Black & White Fanatic (黑色狂迷)
3. Kay Tse - Fragile (脆弱)
4. Joey Yung - Peach Blossom Adventure (桃色冒险)
5. Eason Chan - Tourbillon (陀飞轮)
6. Pakho Chau - Homeless Prince (乞丐王子)
7. Endy Chow - Sometimes (有时)
8. Leo Ku - Era (时代)
9. Andy Hui - Forget Cannot Forget (忘了　忘不了)
10. Miriam Yeung - I Am I (我係我)

A full list of winners can be found here at the Kay's Entertainment site.

TVB's Most Watched TV series in 2010: Can't Buy Me Love

2011-01-08T15:28:00.007+11:00

2010's top ten most watched TV series on Hong Kong's number one network, TVB, were released at the end of December. In a year in which there were no real stand-out series, the historical romantic comedy Can't Buy Me Love (公主嫁到) just edged out No Regrets (巾帼枭雄之义海豪情) for the number one spot.

Hong Kong viewers TV might well be forgiven if last year they experienced an overwhelming feeling of deja vu. Can't Buy Me Love was very similar to the number one show of 2009, Beyond the Realm of Conscience - same historical period, and featuring many of the same cast members, just with more laughs and less dramatic moments than the 2009 show. And No Regret was the spin-off series from 2009's number 2 ranked show, Rosy Business, again with both shows starring much the same cast members.

Can't Buy Me Love is set in the Tang Dynasty and contains several tried and true elements familiar to Hong Kong TV series. There are lavish costumes and sets, bickering couples, a plotline involving the ups and downs of a family business, some palace intrigue, and an evil female villain. It stars Charmaine Sheh (佘诗曼, pinyin: Shé Shīmàn), Moses Chan (陈豪, pinyin: Chén Háo), Louis Yuen (阮兆祥, pinyin: Ruǎn Zhàoxiáng), Susanna Kwan (关菊英, pinyin: Guān Júyīng), and a host of other stars from the TVB stables. The series ran for 31 episodes from August to October, and had an average rating of 34 points, equivalent to 2,150,000 viewers). It peaked at 45 points in the final episode of the series.

Last month it won Best Drama series at the 2010 TVB Anniversary Awards. However its stars missed out on the acting awards, although Charmaine Sheh picked up the My Favourite Female Character award for her portrayal of Princess Chiu Yeung. Instead the acting awards were swept by the cast of No Regrets. Wayne Lai (黎耀祥: Lí Yàoxiáng) and Sheren Tang (邓萃雯, pinyin: Dèng Cuìwén) repeated their 2009 success with Rosy Business - that deja vu feeling again - to win Best Actor and Actress. Evergreen Mak (麦长青, pinyin: Mài Chángqīng) and Fala Chen (陈法拉, pinyin: Chén Fǎlā) were named Best Supporting Actor and Actress respectively.

No Regrets is set in 1930s Guangdong on the eve of the Japanese occupation of the city. The series combined elements of a war drama and police/triad thriller, and averaged 33 points (2,110,000 viewers) over the course of its 31 episodes. The show's final episode peaked at 47 points or 3 million viewers, making it the most watched TVB episode of the year.

The full top 10 TVB series in 2010 are (courtesy of the Hyn5@FortunateCity blog):
1. Can't Buy Me Love, 34 points (2,150,000 viewers)
2. No Regrets, 33 points (2,110,000 viewers)
3. The Mysteries of Love, 32 points (2,040,000 viewers)
4. A Pillow Case of Mystery II, 31 points (1,990,000 viewers)
5. A Watchdog's Tale, 31 points (1,970,000 viewers)
6. When Lanes Merge, 31 points (1,960,000 viewers)
7. Every Move You Make, 31 points (1,950,000 viewers)
8. Gun Metal Grey, 30 points (1,920,000 viewers)
9. Ghost Writer, 30 points (1,910,000 viewers)
10. A Fistful of Stances, 29 points (1,820,000 viewers)

Xinhua's Top 10 Female Cover Stars

2011-01-07T22:04:00.019+11:00

The Xinhua website has nominated its Top Ten Cover Female Stars of 2010, based on appearances on the covers of the Chinese editions of leading fashion magazines. It can be taken as a measure of a star’s popularity, and provides an overview of who's currently considered the most glamorous/stylish/photogenic in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Nine of the ten stars are actors, the other a singer. Reflecting the growing dominance of the Chinese mainland in entertainment, eight of the ten are mainland stars, one was born on the mainland before moving to Hong Kong as a teenager, and the other is from Taiwan.

Zhou Xun - Queen of the Cover Girls

Zhou Xun (周迅)
The 34 year old actress, who CNN once dubbed “China’s Queen of Quirk” was red hot in 2009, winning Best Actress awards at the Golden Roosters and Asian Film Awards. In 2010 she appeared in two films, the historical biopic Confucious and Hong Kong martial arts movie True Legend, neither of which had much of an impact at the box office. This year she’s set to star alongside several other leading Chinese actresses in another historical epic, about the famous Yang Lady Generals. A well-known story from Chinese history, about a group of Song Dynasty women who set out to avenge their husbands killed on the battlefield.

Zhao Wei (赵薇)
Despite her likeable screen persona and comic gifts, the 34 year old Zhao Wei has had an often bumpy relationship with the Chinese public. She took a break from filming in 2010 as she became a mother for the first time. As well as celebrating motherhood she was awarded Best Actress at both the Shanghai Film Critics Awards and One Hundred Flowers Awards for her performance in Mulan. Also in 2010 her most recent film, 14 Blades, was released, although to lukewarm reviews. Her next film will be the time-travelling romantic drama, Underground Resistance.

Li Bingbing (李冰冰)
A year ago the 34 year old Li Bingbing topped a successful 2009 with the Best Actress Award for The Message at Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Horse Awards. She had another hit movie in 2010 with the action mystery Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, but bombed out with the Hong Kong thriller Triple Tap. This year she will star for the first time in an English language film, Wayne Wang’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Will it be the breakout movie that turns her into an international star?

Zhang Ziyi (章子怡)
2010 was a quiet year filmwise for the 31 year old, though she still featured prominently in the news headlines. Early in the year she was embroiled in controversy over claims she failed to donate all the money she had pledged to Sichuan earthquake relief efforts. She later apologised and made up the shortfall, which was blamed on an error by her brokers. And the year ended with an announcement that her engagement with billionaire Vivi Nevo was over. On the positive side, she was named CineAsia’s Actress of the Decade at a Hong Kong industry trade fair. This year she will appear in Wong Kar-Wai’s latest film, a martial arts epic called The Grandmasters, as well as an English-language version of Mulan.

Fan Bingbing (范冰冰)
The in-demand actress (12 films plus 1 TV series completed or in the pipeline in the three year period 2009-11) is the youngest of the ten stars at 29 years old. She recently won Best Actress at the Tokyo Film Festival for Buddha Mountain, and will also star in the much anticipated martial arts blockbuster, Shaolin, alongside Andy Lau and Jacky Chan, as well as the new Chen Kaige historical drama, Sacrifice. She was just recently named at number one in a list of young rich and famous Chinese celebrities (link here, but in Chinese). More awards could soon be on the way.

Wang Fei (王菲)
41 year old Beijing born but Hong Kong raised Wang Fei is the only non-actor on the list. The iconic pop diva famous for her other-worldly voice and haunting ballads came out of semi-retirement in 2010. She appeared at the Spring Festival Gala performance, a Chinese New Year tradition that attracts hundreds of millions of viewers every year. She also sang the theme song for the Confucious soundtrack, and embarked on a sell-out concert tour in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei and Hong Kong.

Tang Wei (汤唯)
Another comeback queen of sorts, 31 year old Tang Wei achieved notoriety back in 2007 with the film Lust, Caution. In the film she bared all for some explicit sex scenes, then fell foul of conservative sections of the Chinese government and media. She found herself unofficially blacklisted and disappeared from the spotlight. Her penance apparently served, she returned to the screen in 2009 with the romantic comedy Crossing Hennessy, a role which earned her a Best Actress nomination at the Golden Horse Awards. In 2010 she starred alongside Korean star Hyun Bin in the US production Late Autumn, a love story between two immigrants in America. Her rehabilitation now complete, she will star alongside other big-name Chinese actresses in the upcoming Yang Lady Generals movie.

Shu Qi (舒淇)
The 34 year-old Taiwanese actress has made one of cinema’s most remarkable transformations, from soft-corn porn starlet to critically acclaimed mainstream leading lady. Her latest film, the romantic comedy If You Are The One 2, is vying with Aftershock and Let the Bullets Fly for the honour of China’s biggest grossing film of all time. Last year she was also nominated for a Best Actress award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for another rom-com, Look For A Star. On a less successful note, she also appeared in the heavily panned City Under Siege, and the lukewarmly-received martial arts actioner Legend of the Fist.

Xu Jinglei (徐静蕾)
Actress, director and blogger (she writes one of the world’s most visited blogs according to Technocrati), the 38 year old is known for her acting versatility. In 2010 she directed and starred in the romantic comedy Go Lala Go, which she also adapted from a best-selling novel. She’ll next appear in Eternal Moment, a romantic drama that will be released, fittingly, on Valentine’s Day. It’s the sequel to a 1998 TV drama series, Cherish Our Love Forever, the show that gave Xu her first break. Other original cast members will also return for the sequel.

Zhang Jingchu (张静初)
The 30 year old Fujian-born actress has long been touted as a candidate for superstardom, though her preference for roles in arthouse productions ahead of blockbusters has hindered her progress. She has appeared in more populist fare of late, including the biggest movie of 2010, Aftershock. Her shift to the mainstream wasn’t all smooth sailing however - she also starred in two shockers, Flirting Scholar 2 and City Under Siege.

2010 Film Recommendations, from China Daily

2011-01-05T21:16:00.004+11:00

After a lengthy six-month break I've decided to resume the blog, although no promises will be made that posts will appear regularly. Much as I'd love to spend hours and hours surfing the net to bring you news and information on Chinese entertainment, unfortunately things like work and family commitments too often intrude.

We'll start 2011 with a list, as it's that time of year when newspapers and magazines compile their various Top 10s and Top 5s for the year just passed. China Daily, the PRC Government's English-language newspaper, has published its Top Ten movies from 2010. In first place is the new action comedy set in the 1920s, Let The Bullets Fly (让子弹飞) - more on this film in the next couple of weeks, as it's on target to surpass Aftershock as mainland China's biggest grossing Chinese film ever.

At number two was the Taiwanese gangster movie, Monga (艋舺), directed by Doze Niu - just his second feature film - and starring two rising idols, Ethan Ruan and Mark Chao. The film was both a critical and commercial hit in a country not previously known for its gangster movies. Number three was the gritty Hong Kong family drama, Echoes of the Rainbow (岁月神偷). The Alex Law directed film won Best Actor (Simon Yam) and Best Newcomer (singer Aarif Lee) at the Hong Kong Film Awards, while the film's other star, Sandra Ng, was nominated for Best Actress.

An obscure mainland arthouse film, Deep in the Clouds, (碧罗雪山) with a cast of non-professional actors, was ranked fourth, while at number five is China's current biggest grossing locally-made film, Aftershock (唐山大地震). Aftershock begins with the disastrous Tangshan earthquake of 1976 then follows the fortunes of some of the quake's survivors. The film's climax is provided by China's second recent major earthquake, the Sichuan earthquake in 2008.

The full Top Ten list is:
1. Let the Bullets Fly (China)
2. Monga (Taiwan)
3. Echoes of the Rainbow (Hong Kong)
4. Deep in the Clouds (China)
5. Aftershock (China)
6. Lost on Journey (人在囧途 - China)
7. Vegetate (我是植物人 - China)
8. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (狄仁杰之通天帝国 - Hong Kong)
9. The War of Internet Addiction (网瘾战争 - China)
10. Love in a Puff (志明与春娇 - Hong Kong)

A-Mei Sweeps Golden Melody Awards

2010-06-30T20:40:00.006+10:00

Taiwan's premier music awards night, the Golden Melody Awards (金曲奖), were held on the weekend, and A-Mei (阿妹) was the evening's most successful artist. The "Pride of Taiwan" was named Best Female Mandarin Singer, and she also won Song of the Year and Best Mandarin Album for Amit. Amit, released almost exactly a year ago, also won awards for Best Lyricist, Best Arranger and Best Producer.

It's the second time A-Mei, also known as Zhāng Huì Mèi (张惠妹), has won the major Golden Melody Award; she was named Best Female Singer back in 2002. The sometimes controversial, sometimes cutting edge A-Mei is a regular nominee at the Golden Melody Awards. This year she was a clear favourite going into the ceremony, with the most number of nominations - ten. Her Amit album, more rock-oriented than previous offerings, had already been one of the winners at Hong Kong's Metro Mandarin Awards last year.

In the Male category, David Tao (陶喆; pinyin: Táo Zhé) finally broke a long drought to win Best Male Mandarin Singer, after been nominated eight times in the past. Regarded as a pioneer of Taiwanese R&B, the 40 year-old veteran was born into a show business family. He grew up in Hong Kong and the United States, and first entered the music world as a songwriter for other artists. Tao released his self-titled debut album in 1997 and was named Best Newcomer that year. Subsequent album releases were irregular, and last year he released just his sixth studio album, Opus 69. Ironically, Opus 69 is regarded by critics and fans alike as one of his weaker efforts, so this year's Golden Melody award is probably more in recognition of his overall career.

Best Mandarin Band Award went to 1976, indie rockers now in their fifteen year of playing their Britpop influenced tunes. Hip hop band Da Xi Men (大囍门) were named Best Vocal Group. A special Judges' award was given to the four members of Taiwan super group Super Band (纵贯线): Luo Dayou, Zhou Huajian, Jonathan Lee and Zhang Zhenyue - all legends of the Taiwan music scene.

A full list of winners can be found here.

Zhou Bichang Topping Album and Singles Charts

2010-06-26T22:37:00.006+10:00

Former Super Girl runner-up Zhou Bichang (周筆暢, also known as Bibi Chou) is the new number one this week on the G Music album charts with her latest album, i魚光鏡. Hopefully the album has an English title that is less odd-sounding than the literal translation, i fish light mirror, though I haven't come across it yet. i fish light mirror is the fifth studio album Zhou has released in the five years since she came second in the very first Super Girl TV singing competition, narrowly losing to Li Yuchun.

Born in Changsha in the central province of Hunan in 1985, she is the first mainlander to have a top-selling album in Taiwan since...well, ages. The reluctant superstar - immediately after the Super Girl contest made her a household name she took a break from singing to return to college - is known for her distinctive R&B vocal style. Another trademark was her tomboyish looks, but judging by the various covers of her latest album it looks like she's traded the anti-idol appearance for a more glamourous one.

Zhou Bichang is also enjoying success with her most recent single, a duet with Han Geng (韩庚) member of Korean boy band Super Junior and their Mandopop offshoots, Super Junior-M. The single, Having Me As Luck (亚运有我精彩之吉) is the theme song for the upcoming Asian Games, and according to reports has reached number one on the charts of at least 20 mainland radio stations, setting new records in the process. A translation of the Chinese-language report can be found at this Super Junior fan blog. The duet may be a first, transitory step towards a solo career for Han Geng, who is disgruntled with Super Junior's record company and is wanting out from his contract.

Jet Li's New Film Wins Shanghai Media Award

2010-06-24T21:58:00.004+10:00

Ocean Heaven (海洋天堂, pinyin: Hǎiyáng Tiántáng), the latest movie from Jet Li (李连杰, pinyin: Lǐ Liánjié), has picked up its first award after its premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival. The 7th CCTV Movie Channel Media Awards, chosen from the Chinese films showing at the Festival, awarded Ocean Heaven Best Film. The film, a departure from Jet Li's usual action martial arts movies, is a family drama about an autistic young man. Li plays the father who is suffering from cancer and is trying to teach his son to be more independent.

26 year-old Wen Zhang (文章), whose previous acting experience has mainly been in TV series, plays the autistic son, and his convincing portrayal won him the Best Actor award. Ocean Heaven's first-time director Xue Xiaolu (薛晓路) won the Best New Director - she also wrote the screenplay. The film arose from her personal experiences working as a volunteer with autistic children.

Best Actress Award was given to Lu Liping (吕丽萍) for her performance as a struggling laundry worker and mother in City Monkey. Like Wen Zhang she is best known for her TV performances, and is a familiar face in historical dramas. Lu's City Monkey co-star, veteran Li Bin (李滨) won Best Supporting Actress. 85 year-old martial arts Master Ip Chun (叶准), son of Ip Man, was named Best Supporting Actor for Ip Man 2, the biopic of his father.

The full list of winners can be found at the Film Business Asia website.

Civil War Drama Wins at Shanghai TV Festival Awards

2010-06-20T21:52:00.005+10:00

The 16th Shanghai Television Festival was held this month, culminating in the holding of its Magnolia Awards for both Chinese and international productions. The Road We Have Taken (人间正道是沧桑) was the big winner amongst the local productions. The Chinese civil war drama won the TV Series Golden Award, Best Director (Zhang Li and Liu Miaomiao) and Best Actor (Huang Zhizhong). The other major winner was A Beautiful Daughter-in-Law Era (媳妇的美好时代): it took out the runners-up TV Series Silver Award, Best Actress (Bai Han), and Best Screenplay.

The Road We Have Taken's title can be literally translated as The World is Full of Vicissitude, and is actually a Mao Zedong quotation. The series is also known under the not-so-catchy English title of Vicissitudes: Course of Uprightness (the title used on the official Shanghai TV Festival website), and is based on a book by Jiang Qitao. The storyline spans three decades, and is about a family torn apart during the Civil War. Two brothers (played by Sun Honglei and Zhang Zhizhong) find themselves on opposite sides during the war, one a high-ranking official in the Communist Party, the other also an officer but with the Nationalist Party. The series also, according to the publicity blurb, "shows the historical inevitability of the Communist Party taking the place of the Nationalist Party and establishing the New China". So a little bit of Marxist Historical Determinism theory thrown in with the family feuding.

The Road We Have Taken was one of many productions from last year that were timed to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic. It stands out from other civil war dramas because of its realistic battle scenes - special effects were by the same Korean team responsible for the award-winning film Assembly. The Road We Have Taken cost a reported 50 million yuan (or about US$7.5 million) to make, relatively expensive by mainland standards.

The 41 year-old Huang Zhizhong (黄志忠), who was recognised as Best Actor, is almost a staple of mainland historical TV dramas. He made his acting debut back in the 1996 drama Cao Cao, and has gone on to appear in over 30 productions. His series include the all-star Big Family (2000), Great Ming Dynasty 1566 (2006) and Ghost Plan 1950 (2008). The Magnolia Award is his first major acting award.

A Beautiful Daughter-in-Law Era is another family saga, but set in modern-day Beijing. Mixing comedy and drama it focuses on a newly-married couple and their newly-acquired in-law families. I came across an insightful review of the program, particularly from a Westerner's perspective, at a blog called Mark's China Blog. Bai Han (柏含), winner of the Best Actress award, is a veteran actress - she played the title character's mother in the series.

Awards were also given for animated series, and popular children's show Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf (喜羊羊与灰太狼) won the Golden Award. A PDF link to all the award winners in English, including the international category winners, can be found at the Festival website.

Amber Kuo Ends the Jay Chou Era at the Top

2010-06-18T21:08:00.004+10:00

Twenty-four year-old Taiwan singer Amber Kuo (郭采洁, pinyin: Guō Cǎijié) is making a habit of out-selling Mandopop superstars. One year ago, her album i amber displaced Jolin Tsai's Butterfly from the top position on the G Music album charts. Now her latest album Sparklers (烟火, pinyin: Yānhuǒ) has knocked off Jay Chou's The Era from the top, going straight to number one in its first week of release.

For Jay Chou, it had been a surprisingly modest reign at the top of the album charts - just three weeks at number one. Although Jay won't be crying poor just yet - The Era set records for pre-order sales in Hong Kong for example - his time at the top doesn't compare so favourably to some other stars. Earlier this year, Jay Chou's great rival Show Luo spent an amazing 10 weeks at number one with Rashomon. Even the Butterfly album released last year by Jay's ex, Jolin, had a reign twice as long at six weeks.

Sparklers is just the third album by Amber Kuo. Stand-out tracks are the title track and first single, the up-tempo Cartoon Life (卡通人生getting a lot of TV airplay courtesy of the car ad in which it features), and the power ballad No Meddling (不过问).

Besides her promising singing career, Kuo's acting ventures are also progressing nicely. She recently starred in the award-winning romantic comedy Au Revoir Taipei, and last year was seen in the TTV romance series, The Happy Times of That Year. And if her singing and acting careers were to suddenly and unexpectedly collapse, she could always turn to social work. She majored in the field at the National Taipei University, graduating in 2008.

Taiwan Men Vote: Lin Chi-ling is the Sexiest

2010-06-16T21:23:00.016+10:00

Lin Chi-ling (林志玲, pinyin: Lín Zhìlíng) has been voted the sexiest woman in the world by readers of the Taiwanese edition of lads' magazine FHM. It's the fourth year in the row she has topped the 100 Sexiest Women in the World list, confirming her status as Taiwan's number one pin-up girl. Although not well-known outside of Asia, in her home country she is a household name and genuine supermodel.

Lin is now in her second decade as a model, although her popularity only took off in 2004 when she was romantically linked with pop idol Jerry Yan. She has tried to branch out from modelling as a TV host and, more recently, actress. She had a role in the historical epic Red Cliff - although apparently her trademark high-pitched voice was dubbed over. Just last month debuted on Japanese TV screens in the soap opera Tsuki no Koibito (Moon Lovers). Despite appearing alongside one of Japan's most popular actors, Kimura Takuya, ratings have been in steady decline and the series may even face cancellation.

The Top Ten of the FHM list was dominated by local girls, with eight of the ten from Taiwan. The only non-Taiwanese in the top ten were American pop singer Lady Gaga (Number 2) and Victoria's Secret model and Sports Illustrated cover girl, Marisa Miller (Number 5). At number three was Aimee Sun (孫芸芸, pinyin: Sūn Yúnyún), the 32 year-old businesswoman and model probably best known for her ads more than anything else. She's a regular on the FHM lists, featuring in the top 20 the past four years. Last year she came in at number 14.

At number four is Taiwan's Queen of Dance Pop, Jolin Tsai (蔡依林, pinyin: Cài Yīlín), slipping two places from her runners-up position in the 2009 list. A former news anchorwoman, Patty Hou (侯佩岑, pinyin: Hóu Pèicén) was voted number 6. The US educated Hou began her career reading the English-language news on Taiwan cable TV. She has since moved to hosting entertainment and fashion shows and will appear in her first soap opera this year. She is also famous for a short-lived but highly publicised relationship with singing superstar Jay Chou five years ago.

The final four positions in the top ten were taken by Taiwanese models. At number 7, Tia Lee (李毓芬, pinyin: Lǐ Yùfēn), followed by Amber Ann (安心亚, pinyin: An Xīnyà) one of the new co-hosts of popular Taiwanese variety show Guess Guess Guess. Number 9 is Barbara Hsu (许维恩, pinyin: Xǔ Wéiēn), while Jenna Wang (王思平, pinyin: Wáng Sīpíng) rounds off the top 10. And in a shameless attempt to boost my blog hits, I've included photos of them all.

Clockwise from top left: Tia Lee, Barbara Hsu, Jenna Wang and Amber Ann

Comeback Queen Kara Hui Wins Yet Another Award

2010-06-13T20:28:00.003+10:00

Thirty years ago Kara Hui (惠英红, Huì Yīnghóng) was one of Hong Kong's leading martial arts actresses, winning the inaugural Best Actress Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 1981. Her career then went into steady decline in the 80s and 90s, to the point where she admitted battling with depression. However the last 12 months have seen a remarkable turnaround in her fortunes with the release of the arthouse hit, At the End of Daybreak. Her performance as an alcoholic mother whose son is accused of rape has seen her take home awards at all the major Chinese-language awards shows.

Her most recent accolade, a Best Actress trophy, was won at the 10th Chinese Film Media Awards held at the end of May. These awards are organised by the Guangzhou newspaper Southern Metropolis Daily, and awards are voted by media represenatives and film critics from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Best Actor at the Chinese Film Media Awards was given to a first-time actor, Chen Wen-Pin (陈文彬) from Taiwan, for his performance as a working-class father battling bureaucracy to gain custody of his daughter in No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti. The Taiwanese film, like At the End of Daybreak it is based on a true story, was co-written by Chen, and was also named Best Film, following on from its Best Film victory at the Golden Horse Awards last year. Experienced actor now turned director Leon Dai (戴立忍, pinyin: Dài Lìrěn) won Best Director for No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti, only the second film he has directed.

Veteran actor Jack Kao (高捷, pinyin: Gāo Jié) won Best Supporting Actor for the Taiwanese comedy-drama A Place of One's Own. His co-star, another veteran Lu Yi-ching (陆弈静), took home Best Supporting Actress.

The Chinese Film Media Awards also named their Best 10 Films of the New Century's first decade. Regular Best Ten list-makers like In the Mood for Love, A One and a Two and Still Life were all there, as well as favourites such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Infernal Affairs. The full list is:

A One and a Two (一一) - 2000, Taiwan drama
In the Mood for Love (花样年华) - 2000, Hong Kong romance
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (卧虎藏龙) - 2000, China/Taiwan/Hong Kong martial arts drama
My Life as McDull (麦兜故事) -2001, Hong Kong animated comedy
Infernal Affairs (无间道) - 2002, Hong Kong thriller
Crazy Stone (疯狂的石头) - 2006, China comedy thriller
Still Life (三峡好人) - 2006, China/Hong Kong drama
Assembly (集结号) -2007, China war drama
The Way We Are (天水围的日与夜) - 2008, Hong Kong drama
The Message (风声) - 2009, China thriller

The full list of award winners - and there's a lot of them, including awards like Most Versatile Actor and Actress and Film Professional of the Year - can be found at the HKSAR Film No Top 10 Box Office blog.

The Mysteries of Love Rates Well, But Japan Cries Foul

2010-06-05T21:35:00.008+10:00

TVB appears to have a new hit on its hands with the police drama The Mysteries of Love (谈情说案, pinyin: Tán qíng shuō àn). In its first week on air it had an average rating of 31 and peaked at 33. The last time a TVB series averaged 30 or above was A Watchdog's Tale which debuted in the last week of December 2009. The new series, however, has not been without controversy, with the Japanese claiming The Mysteries of Love plagiarises their country[s 2008 TV series, Galileo.

Like Galileo, which in turn was based on a well-known Japanese mystery novel, The Mysteries of Love pairs a coldly rational physics professor with an emotional policewoman who's a bit of a romantic at heart, to form an unlikely crime-fighting duo. And, as in the Japanese series, romance inevitably develops between the two. It wouldn't be the first time of course that a TVB series has been accused of copying other shows. Barely a new show is released these days without critics and netizens identifying similarities with other shows. In fact, another series currently airing on TVB, Sisters of Pearl, has also been sprung for its strong resemblance to a Japanese series - Matriarchial Family.

In the role of the physics professor, Raymond Lam (林峯, pinyin: Lín Fēng) returns to the small screen after more than a year's break. It's his first role since his award-winning 2008 series Moonlight Resonance. He is teamed with one of his Moonlight Resonance co-stars, Tavia Yeung (杨怡, pinyin: Yáng Yí), who seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to hit TV series. She has appeared in the most-watched programs from each of the past three years: last year's Beyond the Realm of Conscience, Moonlight Resonance in 2008 and its 2007 prequel Heart of Greed.

Perhaps to differentiate The Mysteries of Love from its Japanese version, the show's producers have added a subplot in which they give the policewoman's superintendent a love interest. Kenneth Ma (马国明, pinyin: Mǎ Guómíng) plays the superintendent, who also happens to be the best friend of Lam's professor character. Canadian-born actress-singer-model Bernice Liu (廖碧, pinyin: Liào Bì'ér) plays a journalist who captures the womanising superintendent's heart.

Liu got her entertainment career off to a start when she won Miss China International in 2001, leading to a TVB contract. In recent years she has been one of TVB's highest-earning stars. Ma was just recently seen in another successful TVB series, A Fistful of Stances, in which he earned praise from critics for his performance.

May Flavour of the Month: Cross Dressers

2010-06-02T21:18:00.007+10:00

In the month of May and a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love, or, in China's case, putting on women's clothes. There were a spate of cross-dressing episodes last month, the most notorious involving Liu Zhu (刘著), a contestant on the mainland's Super Boy talent show. Although in the Mandopop world pretty boys are as common as lip-synching, Liu Zhu took it to the next level when he appeared on Hunan TV's popular singing contest.

His appearance in full drag provoked a now notorious response from one of the guest judges, Anni Meigui. Meigui kept interrupting the hapless Liu, questioning whether he was eligible for the all-male contest, even summoning the internet's human-flesh searchers to check his background. Ironically, netizens turned on the rude and abrasive judge and sympathised with Liu Zhu instead - a reflection perhaps of changing mores in Chinese society.

Liu progressed past the early rounds of the Super Boy competition, but was eliminated before reaching the final 25. Immediately a conspiracy theory sprang up, that the Chinese government through its State Administration of Radio, Television and Film (SARTF), had ordered the show's producers to remove Liu from the contest. (The EastSouthWestNorth website has translations of media coverage of the conspiracy theory). The theory goes that Liu is hardly a poster boy for wholesome values and mainstream culture, so SARTF - as guardians of mainstream culture - intervened. But then, if you started banning every man who dressed up as a woman and sung, it would mean the end of that bastion of Chinese culture, Peking opera. Perhaps a more plausible theory for Liu's elimination is that, despite his admirable courage in putting himself out so to speak, he just wasn't a good enough singer.

Another "is-she-a-boy?" scandal, this time in Hong Kong, erupted when B-grade movie producer Stephen Siu alleged that a former Miss Hong Kong placegetter had been in fact a Mister. Siu claimed in a radio interview that a transsexual had finished in the top three of a past Miss Hong Kong Pageant. The Pageant, organised by TV station TVB, is one of the premier events on the Hong Kong show business pageant, and has been the launching pad for dozens of acting and singing careers. Notable finalists in the Pageant's 37-year history include Maggie Cheung, Ada Choi, Charmaine Sheh and Anita Yuen.

Unfortunately Siu declined to reveal the name of the transsexual, the only clue given that she/he was a contestant from sometime in the past 12 years. This immediately sparked a frenzy of groundless conjecture from the media, with Anne Heung (pictured left) and Hoyan Mok - both former winners - pronounced the chief suspects. Alex Fong, husband of Mok, will no doubt be surprised by the revelation.

Even Taiwan had its own "fake girl" episode. (伪娘 or wěi niáng, literally "fake girl" is a neulogism that has only become popular in recent months to describe the fad/fashion of men dressing as females). Former Taiwanese Super Idol winner Eison had a public appearance interrupted by a cross-dressing fan. The fan presented the singer, celebrating his birthday that day, with a birthday bun...from her chest. At least Eison appears to be enjoying his close-up experience with transgenderism. (Photo and story courtesy of CpopAccess).

Jay Chou Makes Most Creative Business People List

2010-05-31T21:29:00.005+10:00

Jay Chou in businessman pose

US business magazine, Fast Company's most recent editition put together a list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business 2010. The list was headed by the suddenly ubiquitous Lady Gaga, and includes filmmakers James Cameron and Spike Jonze, several company CEOs, CIOs and CTOs, a celebrity chef (Jamie Oliver) and, coming in at number 70, Taiwan's biggest-name entertainer Jay Chou (周杰伦, pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún).

Jay Chou was recognised for his skill in turning a singer-songwriting career into a multi-million dollar business that encompasses TV, films, theme restaurants and dessert shops selling Jay Chou memorabilia. Fast Company reports his earnings last year at US$17.5 million - and that was in a year when he didn't release an album. With a just released CD, upcoming world concert tour, and a starring role in the Hollywood blockbuster Green Hornet, he should more than match those earnings in 2010.

It's been quiet a month for Jay. Two weeks ago he released his new album, The Era, which promptly went straight to number one on the charts. Earlier Forbes China magazine had named him China's second most powerful celebrity behind Jackie Chan. However, the 31 year-old also experienced the flipside of fame this month when B-list celebrity Honey Chen claimed that Jay Chou tried to kiss her despite her refusals - accusations that the singer laughed off. The revelations were made on the aptly-named Gossip Queen TV show, and most observers felt it was more an exercise in self-promotion by the 20 year-old model.

Jay Chou's The Era

2010-05-27T21:41:00.004+10:00

No surprises when Jay Chou's (周杰伦, pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún) new album The Era (跨时代, pinyin: Kuà shí dài) went immediately to the number one position on the Taiwan charts. The album has been over 18 months in the making, with music having to share time with Jay Chou's other entertainment ventures like acting, directing and producing. The built-up anticipation amongst his legion of fans meant the album had more than 20 percent of all record sales in Taiwan for the week 14 to 20 May - especially impressive considering the album was only released on the 18th.

The Era is Jay Chou's tenth studio album in a career that began back in the late nineties. He actually began writing songs for others, before releasing his debut album, Jay, in 2000. Since then he has sold over 25 million records and won countless awards (Wikipedia estimates it's around 350), including four times Best Selling Chinese Artist at the World Music Awards.

As is characteristic of Jay's work, The Era mixes up the styles: pop, rap, blues and ballads, electronic rock, he even sings a bit of Peking Opera. The album opens with the title track, which has also been getting a lot of airplay on the music shows with its costly music video. It ends with the single, Superman Can't Fly (超人不会飞), and also includes the controversial Hip-Hop Stewardess (嘻哈空姐) which managed to get banned on the mainland for its risque lyrics. The Urban Wire website has a proper review of the album.

Ip Man 2 Packs Box Office Punch

2010-05-25T21:19:00.007+10:00

Ip Man 2 (叶问2:宗师传奇, pinyin: Yè Wèn 2: Zōng Shī Chuán Qí), the sequel to the 2008 biopic of one of China's most famous martial arts grandmasters, has proved a winner at the box office. Released at the end of April, the film grossed over 100 million yuan (or just under US$15 million) on the mainland in its first week. Box office figures were boosted by the timing of its release, during the profitable May Day holiday break. In its second week of release it went head-to-head against the Hollywood blockbuster Iron Man 2, with the Chinese press reporting that the local film more than held its own.

So far, mainland box office takings are over 200 million yuan (according to its producer Raymond Wong), which makes it the most profitable Chinese-language film so far in 2010. It has also more than doubled the earnings of the original Ip Man. Whether Ip Man 2 reaches the ambitious target of 300 million yuan set by director Wilson Yip remains to be seen. If it does, that could push it close to being the second biggest grossing Chinese film of all time, behind The Founding of a Republic (which earned more than 400 million yuan) but alongside Bodyguards and Assassins.

Ip Man 2 has also been a hit in both Hong Kong and Singapore. In Hong Kong, it was released at the same time as Iron Man 2 but surprisingly out-grossed it at the box office. In its first week, it took in HK$13 million (US$1.7 million), and so far has taken a total of HK$40 million. In Singapore, Ip Man 2 has become the highest-grossing Hong Kong film of all time. It has now taken in S$4.5 million (US$3.15 million), beating the previous record-holder, the Stephen Chow classic, Kung Fu Hustle.

In Ip Man 2, Donnie Yen (甄子丹, pinyin: Zhēn Zǐdān) returns in the title role, with Simon Yam (任达华, pinyin: Rén Dáhuá) and Lynn Hung (熊黛林, pinyin: Xióng Dàilín) also appearing again as his close friend and wife respectively. It also features Huang Xiaoming (黄晓明), recent winner of Most Popular Actor at the Beijing Student Film Festival, and Hong Kong kung fu film legend Sammo Hung (洪金宝, pinyin: Hóng Jīnbǎo). Set in post-war Hong Kong, Ip Man 2 continues where Ip Man left off, focusing on his struggles to establish a Wing Chun martial arts school in the then British colony.

The original Ip Man movie, besides doing well at the box office, was also a critical success. It won Best Film at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2009, while Donnie Yen's awards included Best Actor at last year's Beijing Student Film Festival.

Show Luo's Third Number 1 Album in Less than 18 Months

2010-05-21T21:18:00.005+10:00

Show Luo (罗志祥) might have been ignored when nominations were announced for the Golden Melody Awards, but he'll still be laughing all the way to the bank. Taiwan's King of Dance has just released a new album of remixes, Remix Collection (舞者為王REMIX混音极选), and like so many of his records, it's gone straight to the top of the album charts. For the week 6-13 May, the album had 22 percent of album sales, knocking Jaycee Chan's Chaos from the number one position.

It's Show Luo's third number one selling album in the space of less than 18 months, following on from the mega-selling Rashomon earlier this year, and 2009's second-biggest selling album, Trendy Man. As the name says, Remix Collection is a collection of some of his best-known songs remixed in various styles. We get Hot Shot, the single from Trendy Man, in a "violent electro" remix, Rashomon gets a Euro techno make-over, while When We Are Together from the Show Your Dance album is given "Nu Jazz Downtempo" treatment.

Despite Show Luo's popularity and proven track record in selling albums, expect his stay at the top of the charts to be short. For this week, Jay Chou releases The Era, his much anticipated studio album.

A-Mei Is Most Nominated at Upcoming Golden Melody Awards

2010-05-18T22:03:00.002+10:00

The Golden Melody Awards (金曲奖), the biggest music awards event in the Mandopop world, announced the nominations for the 21st edition of the award. Unlike many other awards shows that are little more than idol popularity contests, Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards actually reward artistic merit. This year's nominations, 124 in total competing in 14 categories, are headed by one of Taiwan's most respected singers, A-Mei (阿妹). She has 10 nominations, including Best Female Singer, Best Song and Best Album.

A-Mei's competitors for Best Female Singer are two-time previous winner Tanya Chua (蔡健雅, pinyin: Cài Jiànyǎ) from Singapore, another previous winner in Hong Kong's Karen Mok (莫文蔚, pinyin: Mò Wénwèi), Taiwan's Tiger Huang (黄小琥, pinyin: Huáng Xiǎohǔ) and Cheer Chen (陈绮贞, pinyin: Chén Qǐzhēn), also from Taiwan. All but Tiger Huang were also nominated for Best Album; the fifth Album nominee is Lala Hsu (徐佳莹, pinyin: Xú Jiayíng), making it an all-female affair. Lala Hsu is also a hot favourite for Best Newcomer.

In the Male Singer category, the contenders for the prize will be Singapore's JJ Lin (林俊杰, Lín Jùnjié), Hong Kong's Eason Chan (陈奕迅, pinyin: Chén Yixùn), Hawaiian-born Khalil Fong (方大同, pinyin: Fāng Dàtóng), and Taiwan's David Tao (陶喆, pinyin: Táo Zhé) and Jam Hsiao (萧敬腾 pinyin: Xiāo Jìng Téng). Revealingly, neither of Taiwan's biggest-selling singers from last year, Jolin Tsai and Show Luo, were nominated for Best Singer.

Nominations for Best Song of the Year are Lala Hsu's Riding On a White Horse, Come If You Dare by A-Mei, Singing in the Trees by Taiwanese Mandopop star Claire Kuo, and Fish by Cheer Chen. Another Best Song nominee is Desperado by Superband. The Taiwanese super group, formed for a limited time by four veterans of the Taiwanese rock/pop scene, will be hoping they can finish on a high as winners.

The main nominees are as follows:

Best Mandarin Male Singer
JJ Lin
David Tao
Eason Chan
Khalil Fong
Jam Hsiao

Best Mandarin Female Singer
Tanya Chua
Karen Mok
A-Mei
Tiger Huang
Cheer Chen

Best Mandarin Band
Kou Chou Ching (拷秋勤)
Superband (纵贯线)
Sodagreen (苏打绿)
Mavis Fan & 100% (范晓萱, 100%乐团)
Totem (图腾乐团)
1976

Best Vocal Group
katncandix2 (棉花糖)
Come On! Bay Bay! (来吧! 焙焙!)
Da Xi Men (大囍门)
Super Junior M
Power Station (动力火车)

Best Mandarin Album
If You See Him (若你碰到他) - Tanya Chua
Hui Wei (回蔚) - Karen Mok
Lala Hsu (徐佳莹LALA创作专辑) - Lala Hsu
AMIT - A-Mei
Immortal (太阳) - Cheer Chen

Best Song of the Year
Riding a White Horse (身骑白马) - Lala Hsu
Come If You Dare (好胆你就来) - A-Mei
Singing in the Trees (在树上唱歌) - Claire Kuo
Desperado (亡命之徒) - Super Band
Fish (鱼) - Cheer Chen

The full list of nominations are here, but in Chinese. Winners will be announced on June 26.

Chaos at the top of the Taiwan Album Charts

2010-05-13T21:15:00.005+10:00

There's chaos in the Taiwan album charts this week. That's Chaos (乱), the new album by Jaycee Chan (房祖名, pinyin: Fáng Zǔmíng), which climbed to the number one spot on the G Music charts last week. It accounted for a massive 27 percent of all album sales in Taiwan for the week April 25 to May 1, and 41 percent of all Mandarin album sales. Chaos displaced Together by Rene Liu after two weeks in the top position.

It's been a big last couple of weeks for the Chan clan. First, father Jackie Chan was named by Forbes magazine China's most powerful celebrity, and now son Jaycee has a number one selling album with just his second studio album. It's been a long wait between albums: his debut record was back in 2004, although he released an EP in 2007. The light output is no doubt the result of dividing his time between singing and songwriting, acting, running a company and, I guess, enjoying a multi-millionaire's lifestyle.

Twenty-seven year old Chan was born in the United States, raised first in Hong Kong and then in the US, and, after dropping out of college there, is now based back in Hong Kong. His mother is the former actress from Taiwan, Joan Lin, hence his fluency in Mandarin. His show business career hasn't exactly set the world on fire, either in movies or music. He did receive critical acclaim, however, for his acting performance in the 2006 film The Sun Also Rises, and his first album Jaycee is seriously underrated.

Sales for Chaos have been helped by the strong title track and first single. Chaos includes some older tracks from his first album, and has a few English-language songs as well as in Mandarin. Here's an album review from the Let's Spread the LOVE for Chinese Music blog (a good source for album reviews, by the way).

The Message Wins Best Film at Beijing Student Film Festival

2010-05-11T20:50:00.004+10:00

The World War II spy thriller, The Message (风声, pinyin: Fēngshēng), was named Best Film at the 17th Beijing Student Film Festival on the weekend. The Message, an intriguing and suspenseful whodunnit set in 1942 during the Japanese occupation of the mainland, was both a critical and popular success when it was released back in September.

The Beijing Student Film Festival, which runs annually, culminates in an awards ceremony where winners are selected by a jury of film critics and academics. Students are also given the opportunity to select a handful of "most popular' awards. In total 39 films were shortlisted for the awards and a total of 21 awards were handed out.

Best Actor was won by Huang Bo (黄渤 - pictured right) for his performance in the comedy Cow. The 35 year old with the anti-idol looks, has already collected a Golden Horse Award for his role as a bumbling farmer. Bo made his film debut just four years ago in the black comedy/heist film Crazy Stone, followed it up with another popular comedy Crazy Racer and has become hot property. Cow was just one of six films he appeared in last year, and already this year has three movies to his credit.

In a decision that came out of left field, the relatively unknown (at least outside China) Tao Hong (陶红) was awarded Best Actress. She won for her performance in a film called Fragrance of Rice (米香), of which I know absolutely nothing. Tao is known mainly as a TV actor; in fact I think Fragrance of Rice might be her film debut. Best Director was given to Wang Quan'an (王全安) for Apart Together which, like The Message and Cow, was also set during the Second World War. Wang is a two-time winner at the Berlin Film Festival, winning a Best Director prize in 2007 for Tuya's Marriage, and Best Screenplay this year for Apart Together.

In the student-voted awards Huang Xiaoming (黄晓明), who gave a scene-stealing performance as a sadistic interrogator in The Message, was voted Most Popular Actor. Vicki Zhao (赵薇, pinyin: Zhào Wéi) was named Most Popular Actress, the third time she has won this particular award.

For the second year in a row Hong Kong director Wilson Yip (叶伟信) has won Most Popular Director, although this year he had to share it with another Hong Kong native, Teddy Chen (陈德森, pinyin: Chén Désēn). Ye was recognised for Ip Man 2, the sequel to the martial arts drama that won him the award the previous year. Chen was the director of the multi-award winning Bodyguards and Assassins, and follow his success at the recent Hong Kong Film Awards.

The main award winners were:
Best Film: The Message (风声)
Best Director: Wang Quan'an (王全安), Apart Together (团圆)
Best Actor: Huang Bo (黄渤), Cow (斗牛)
Best Actress: Tao Hong (陶红), Fragrance of Rice (米香)
Best Newcomer: Jing Boran (井柏然)
Most Popular Actor: Huang Xiaoming (黄晓明)
Most Popular Actress: Vicky Zhao (赵薇)
Most Popular Directors: Wilson Yip (叶伟信), Ip Man 2 (叶问2); Teddy Chen (陈德森), Bodyguards and Assassins (十月围城)
Jury Award: Bodyguards and Assassins (十月围城), Labyrinth (迷城)
Outstanding Contribution Award: The Founding of a Republic (建国大业)
Best Television Movie: No Cicada Summer (无蝉的夏天)
Best Television Actor: Lu Yulai (吕聿来), No Cicada Summer
Best Television Actress: Dong Ling (董玲), The Camel Circle (骆驼圈)
Best Television Director: Jin Ge (金戈), The Camel Circle

Source (in Chinese) here.

Music Radio TOP List Award Winners

2010-05-08T23:25:00.006+10:00

Some Awards news from two weeks ago, but better late than never. Music Radio, one of the most popular syndicated radio stations in China, announced its annual awards on April 24 in Beijing. It attracted a host of big name performers, and awards were handed out to artists from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The dozens of awards were evenly distributed with no artist dominating.

Amongst the female singers, former Super Girl winner Li Yuchun (李宇春) took home two trophies. She was named Best Mainland Female Singer, and also the Mainland Record of the Year with her self-titled album, her third studio album. The Super Girl runner-up to Li Yuchun back in 2005, was Zhou Bichang (周笔畅), and she won two awards. She was awarded Most Popular Mainland Female Singer, and also Best All-round Mainland Entertainer.

In the Hong Kong/Taiwan categories, Best Female Singer went to Jolin Tsai (蔡依林, pinyin: Cài Yīlín - pictured left in eye-catching outfit), and Most Popular Female Singer went to Elva Hsiao (萧亚轩, pinyin: Xiāo Yǎxuān). Jolin also took out the Hong Kong/Taiwan Record of the Year with the top-selling Butterfly album, while Elva was Hong Kong/Taiwan's Best All-round Entertainer.

Twenty-five year-old Shanghai-born pop singer Anson Hu (胡彦斌, pinyin: Hú Yanbīn - pictured right) was named Best Mainland Male Singer, while the Most Popular award was given to another former TV talent show winner, Zhang Jie (张杰). Best Hong Kong/Taiwan Male Vocalist was won by Taiwan rocker Shin (信), former lead singer of the band of the same name. In the Most Popular category, Hong Kong's Eason Chan (陈奕迅, pinyin: Chén Yìxùn) was the winner.

A host of bands/groups took home awards. Soft rock duo and perennial winners Yu Quan (羽泉) won Best Mainland Group, and Most Popular Mainland Group was given to the Chinese franchise of Korean boy band Super Junior, Super Junior M. In the Hong Kong/Taiwan categories, Most Popular Group was another boy band, Taiwan's Fahrenheit (飞轮海, pinyin: Fēilúnhǎi), while the Best Group award went to Taiwanese hip hop outfit, Da Mouth (大嘴巴, pinyin: Dà Zuǐ Bā). The group, who formed in 2007, is comprised of four performers, three men and a women.

Best Mainland Band was given to a three-piece group who I admit to knowing next to nothing about: 橘红色乐团, which I'll translate as The Orange Red Band. Most Popular Mainland Band went to the Brit-pop influenced Beijing rock band Future Bicycle (未来脚踏车, pinyin: Wèi Lái Jiâo Tà Che - pictured left). Best Hong Kong/Taiwan Band was won by Taiwan's pop-rock group Mayday (五月天, pinyin: Wǔ Yuè Tiān). In the Most Popular category, it was another Taiwanese group, F.I.R (飞儿乐团, pinyin: Fēiér Yuètuán). The trio , two men and a women, formed back in 2004 and had an immediate hit with the theme song to a popular Taiwanese idol drama that year, The Outsiders.

A more comprehensive list of winners can be found at this site, but in Chinese only.

Jackie Chan Rated China's Most Powerful Star by Forbes

2010-05-06T22:03:00.006+10:00

Forbes China Magazine released its annual 100 Chinese Celebrities List, which aims to measure China's most powerful stars. It uses a formula based on annual income, number of search engine hits, press coverage and magazine cover appearances. For the first time, the List has been extended to cover not just the mainland but Hong Kong and Taiwan as well. Which has meant a new number one, Hong Kong's action star Jackie Chan (成龙, pinyin: Chéng Lóng) muscling NBA basketballer Yao Ming (姚明) from the top position.

Jackie Chan earned his top position through his consistently high ranking across all four categories Forbes used to measure celebrity status. Chan was the second highest earning Chinese celebrity, and also number two in terms of press coverage. He was the fifth ranked for search engine hits, and seventh for magazine and TV appearances. Despite this, 2009 was a relatively quiet year for the actor: Shinjuku Incident was a moderate success, while The Spy Next Door, released at the beginning of 2010, was critically panned. However, his latest release, the historical action film Little Big Soldier, has been a big earner at the box office.

At number two on the List is Taiwan's superstar singer, actor, director and producer Jay Chou (周杰伦, pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún). The past twelve months haven't been a great period for Jay, with the much hyped TV series Panda Men failing to win an audience. There were also no record releases in that period, though his latest album, The Era, will be out this month. Despite the barren run, Forbes estimated he was China's third highest earner, and he also rated highly for internet searches and press coverage.

Another Hong Kong star, actor-singer Andy Lau (刘德华, pinyin: Liú Déhuá), was at number three. He was the sixth highest earning celebrity, but ranked number 2 and number 3 in terms of internet searches and press coverage. Unfortunately for Lau, most of that coverage was of the negative kind, when it was revealed that Andy was secretly married , after years of strenuous denials.

Yao Ming, at number four, was the highest ranking mainlander, as well as the highest earning celebrity (255 million yuan, or about US$37 million). Yao was also the number one in terms of newspaper coverage. Number one in magazine and TV coverage was mainland actress Zhang Ziyi (章子怡), although again not all of it would have been positive as she too endured a rocky past twelve months. Overall Forbes rated her number five on their list of powerful celebrities. The number ranked for internet searches was popular mainland comedian Xiao Shenyang (小沈阳), though overall he was well down on the list at number 30.

Another comedian, veteran performer Zhao Benshan (赵本山), was number 6 on the list, while Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai (蔡依林, pinyin: Cài Yīlín) made number 7. Two actors, Donnie Yen (甄子丹, pinyin: Zhēn Zǐdān) and Fan Bingbing (范冰冰) were number 8 and 10 respectively, while track star Liu Xiang (刘翔) came in at number 9.

The full list of all 100 celebrities can be found at the Forbes China website, but in Chinese.

Teenagers BY2 Give Up Top Chart Spot for Veteran Rene Liu

2010-04-26T22:30:00.005+10:00

Veteran actress-singer René Liu (刘若英, pinyin: Liú Ruòyīng) has this week's best-selling album on G Music's album chart. Her album Together (在一起) - her twelth studio album - displaced last week's number one album Grown Up by Singapore girl group BY2. Grown Up had a short but sweet one-week reign at the top and this week drops to number three.

Liu was born in Taipei in 1969 (or 1970), and went to America after finishing school to study music at the University of California. In 1995 she released her first album, the same year that she made her film debut. Her acting career overshadowed her music career initially with her first two films, Xiao Yu and Don't Cry, Nanking, both critically acclaimed. She has divided her acting between film and television, and probably her best-known performance was in the 2004 film A World Without Films. Her performance as the thief with a heart of gold won her the Best Leading Actress award at the Golden Bauhinia awards.

Her debut single in 1995, Crazy for Love, was a bit hit; however, her music career didn't really take off until the 1998 release of her fourth album Love You More and More. Her fifth album, Waiting for You, cemented her reputation as a talented singer and song-writer of mellow, soulful pop ballads.

Together has been a two-year wait for fans since her last release. The first single from the new album is We're Not Together (我们沒有在一起), which also appears as the end theme song for the currently running TV series P.S Man.

A Fistful of Stances is TVB's First Hit Series of 2010

2010-04-23T22:38:00.004+10:00

A third of the year has passed, and it has taken that long for Hong Kong's TVB to finally air a series that has drawn in the audiences. A Fistful of Stances (铁马寻桥, pinyin: Tiě Mǎ Xún Qiáo) is a martial arts action series set in Hong Kong around 100 years ago. A family drama in the mould of last year's hit Rosy Business, the story focuses on the Koo family who run a martial arts school.

A Fistful of Stances stars American-born Kevin Cheng (郑嘉颖, pinyin: Zhéng Jiāyǐng) as the long-lost son who returns then sets on a path of revenge against the family's enemies. Cheng started out as a singer and won Best New Artist at the Metro Radio Golden Song Awards in 1994. His acting career was confined to supporting roles until 2004 when he played the lead in the TVB series Hard Fate. In 2006 his performance in the romantic drama series, Under the Canopy of Love, won him Best Actor at the TVB Anniversary Awards.

Despite having the lead role, Cheng's performance in A Fistful of Stances was overshadowed by Kenneth Ma (马国明, pinyin: Mǎ Guómíng) playing his on-screen brother. Ma made his screen debut back in 1999, but his breakout year wasn't until 2006 when he won Most Improved Actor at the TVB Anniversary Awards. In A Fistful of Stances Ma won most of the praise from both critics and viewers, so much so that as the series progressed he received more and more screentime at Cheng's expense. Expect him to feature heavily when the 2010 awards are handed out.

Others in the cast included Tavia Yeung, last year's Best Actress winner at the TVB Anniversary Awards, in a smaller but eye-catching role as the family matriarch. Selena Li, Nancy Wu and Natalie Tong played the love interests, while Dominic Lam made a memorable villain. The series also featured appearances by veteran stars Yuen Qu and Kara Hui (who just last week won Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards).

The series had a slow start ratings-wise, averaging just 25 points in its first two weeks. However A Fistful of Stances steadily built an audience and has become the most talked about series of 2010, at least so far. In its second last week it averaged 32 points, and the its two-hour finale averaged 37 with a peak of 43 points, despite being up against the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony on rival station ATV.

BY2's Grown Up Shoots to the Top of the Charts

2010-04-21T21:25:00.005+10:00

It was a case of one girl band toppling another girl band, as Singapore's BY2 pushed Taiwan's S.H.E from the top position on the latest G Music album charts. BY2 are twin sisters Miko and Yumi Bai (白纬芬 and 白纬玲), and their latest release is titled Grown Up (成人礼) - after all, they did just turn 18 last month. Grown Up had 18 percent of all album sales in Taiwan for the period 9 to 15 April, and 33 percent of all Chinese-language sales.

Grown Up is BY2's third studio album, released on the Ocean Butterflies Music label. The group was created by the record label, who carefully groomed them from the age of 13. They received three years of intensive singing and dance training, even dropping out of high school to concentrate on their musical career. In 2007 they moved to Taiwan and a year later, at the age of 16 the twins released their first album. Their catchy music, a kind of hybrid of bubblegum pop and hip hop, cute looks and energetic dance moves made them an immediate success. Grown Up provides more of the same, with four of the album's songs having "love" in the title. The first single is the track This Is Love (这叫爱).

After just two weeks in the top position, S.H.E's album SHERO dropped to number 2 on the charts but still sold a healthy 20 percent of all Chinese language albums in Taiwan last week. Another Mandopop superstar, Jane Zhang, also debuted on the Taiwan charts last week with her fourth album, Believe in Jane. (Actually the album was released everywhere else almost three months ago; I'm not sure why it's only now surfacing on the Taiwan charts). Believe in Jane holds the number three position on the charts, with a respectable 7.8 percent of sales.

Bodyguards and Assassins Wins Eight at HK Film Awards

2010-04-19T20:34:00.004+10:00

Bodyguards and Assassins (十月围城), the semi-fictional action drama set in 1905 about a team of bodyguards formed to protect revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen, won eight awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) on Sunday. That made it the equal second most successful film in HKFA history - along with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Warlords. The 1997 film Comrades: Amost A Love Story holds the record with nine awards.

Bodyguards and Assassins' haul of trophies on the night included Best Film and Best Director (Teddy Chen - 陈德森, pinyin: Chén Désēn). It also earned Nicholas Tse (谢霆锋, pinyin: Xiè Tíngfēng) a Best Supporting Actor trophy for his performance as a loyal rickshaw driver enlisted to help save the revolutionary hero from Imperial assassins. The film also won awards for cinematography, art direction, costumes, action choreography and film score.

Best Actress and Best Actor winners, Kara Hui and Simon Yam

Simon Yam (任达华, pinyin: Rén Dáhuá) was a popular Best Actor winner, after being nominated several times in the past but never taking the prize. He won for Echoes of the Rainbow in which he played a battling shoemaker bringing up a family in the working class district of Sheung Wan in the 1960s. The low-budget film directed by Alex Law has been a surprise hit with audiences, and earlier this year won a Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Echoes of a Rainbow won four HKFAs in total. In a bit of a surprise, Aarif Lee (李治廷, pinyin: Lǐ Zhìtíng) was named Best Newcomer for his role as the elder son, and the film also won Best Screenplay and Best Song.

Best Actress winner was Kara Hui (惠英红, Wai Ying-hung) for her moving portrayal of an over-protective mother in At the End of Daybreak. Hui, who turned 50 two months ago, began her movie career in the 1970s as a kung fu action heroine. One of her best-known martial arts roles was in My Young Auntie in 1982, for which she won Best Actress at the inaugural Hong Kong Film Award. Hui gave an emotional acceptance speech on receiving her second HFKA, recounting her battle with depression when her career floundered. In a nice piece of symmetry, Lau Kar-Leung (刘家良, pinyin: Liú Jiāliáng), the director and martial arts choreography who discovered Hui, was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Best Supporting Actress was awarded to Michelle Ye (叶璇, pinyin: Yè Xuán) in the Johnnie To directed action thriller Accident. Ye, a former beauty pageant winner, is best-known as a TV actress. Her decision to turn her back on a lucrative contract renewal with TVB so as to focus on her film career now appears to be vindicated after the critical success of her Accident performance.

The full list of winners can be found at the Asia One website.

Best-Selling Novelist Nominated for Time's Most Influential People

2010-04-15T22:30:00.003+10:00

Time Magazine has generated a lot of publicity, in China at least, with its publication of a list of nominees for its 100 Most Influential People list. Representing China are a handful of politicians, businessmen and dissidents/civil rights activists, but one name alone has generated most discussion.

Han Han (韩寒) - novelist, essayist, blogger, singer, online entrepreneur and rally driver - has attracted controversy from the moment he first burst on the literary scene. That was back in 2000 when as a precocious 17 year old he had his first novel, Triple Doors (三重门), published. That novel went on to become the biggest selling literary work in China in the past 20 years. Triple Doors struck a chord with millions of young Chinese with its scathing criticism of the Chinese education system and the spirit-breaking pressures it places on schoolchildren.

Han Han has since written a further four novels, and although sales have been respectable he has yet to repeat his initial success. Nevertheless his fame has continued to grow through his provocative and controversial essays and blog articles. His blog is one of the most popular in China in terms of hits and page views, with its spats with fellow celebrities, critiques of Chinese society and thinly veiled criticisms of government. He's regarded as a spokesman for the post-1980s generation, and his idol good looks have only added to his strong following amongst many young people.

Not everyone's a fan however, and not just the establishment he takes so much delight in attacking. A lot of goodwill he earned from his first novel has slowly disappeared, with people writing him off as the literary equivalent of a one-hit wonder. In a relatively controlled society like China where public criticism and outspokedness is frowned upon, his opinionated views can also put him offside with the general public.

It's no surprise that such a polarising figure has also divided Chinese with his Time Magazine nomination. Some have questioned whether he is as influential as Time seems to believe, while others wonder whether there are better, worthier writers who should have been nominated. And the Government-run media has seen the nomination as yet another plot by the West to undermine the Communist Party by championing its critics (see this informative China Digital Times article for more details and links to the articles in question).

Meanwhile, Han Han's supporters have rallied to the cause, voting in numbers on Time's online poll to ensure he makes the Top 100. Currently he's ranked number six in online votes. The final Top 100 list will be announced in early May.

IFPI's Best Selling Singers in Hong Kong

2010-04-10T23:37:00.000+10:00

IFPIHK, the Hong Kong arm of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, announced its Top Sales Music Awards for 2009 on April 7. Unfortunately, the four major labels - Sony, EMI, Warner and Universal - belong to a rival industry association, HKRIA, so their record sales weren't considered. This meant that major Hong Kong singers like Eason Chan, Khalil Fong and Hins Cheung, went unrewarded.

There's a little bit of confusion over the winners, with Oriental Daily initially reporting that Joey Yung (容祖儿, pinyin: Róng Zǔér) was named Best Selling Female Singer. Other websites have picked up Oriental Daily's report, including the Asian Fanatics forum. It's probably the logical choice, seeing as Yung's the undisputed Queen of Cantopop. However, it seems that Oriental Daily might have jumped the gun. The official IFPIHK website itself has Janice Vidal (卫兰, pinyin: Wèi Lán) as the Best Selling Female Singer winner, and I guess they ought to know better than anyone.

(Janice Vidal at the IPFI Awards)

The Hong Kong born singer with the exotic heritage - Janice's father is Filipino and her mother Chinese-Korean - released two albums in 2009, Serving You (well, actually released in late 2008) and Wish. Often known by her first name only, Janice began her career in 2004, first coming to the Hong Kong public's attention with her English language cover version of the Leon Lai hit Long Distance. The following year she went on to win Best Newcomer at most of the major Hong Kong award ceremonies. She has recorded six studio albums in total, all of them containing a mix of English and Cantonese language songs.

Best Selling Male Singer was awarded to Raymond Lam (林峯, pinyin: Lín Fēng), who profited from the ineligibility of heavyweight singers like Eason Chan and Khalil Fong. Lam, better known as a TV actor, released his second album in 2009, Let's Get Wet. On that album was the multi-award winning single If Times Comes. Last year he also released a successful Mandarin language single, After Tomorrow.

Best Sales for a Mandarin Release was awarded to Taiwanese singer-songwriter Cheer Chen (陈绮贞, pinyin: Chén Qǐzhēn). The veteran performer - she released her debut EP back in 1997 - tends to stay out of the limelight, and consequently is not as well known as some of her Mandopop superstar compatriots. As well as her skills as a lyricist she is also highly regarded as a concert performer. The IFPI award was given for her album Immortal, released in early 2009 on the WOW Music label.

The List of Top Ten Sales from Local Artistes is:
Janice
Raymond Lam
Andy Lau
Joey Yung
Ivana Wong
Charlene Choi
G.E.M
Denise Ho
Justin Lo
Stephanie Cheng

The full list of all 52 winners is at the IPFIHK website.

S.H.E End Show Luo's 10 Week Reign at Number 1

2010-04-08T21:29:00.004+10:00

Finally, after an unprecedented reign at the top of Taiwan's album charts, the King of Dance, Show Luo, has been removed from his throne. And it took one of Taiwan's biggest bands, girl band S.H.E, to dethrone him. The most recent G Music album charts, for the week 26 March to 1 April, had the new S.H.E record, SHERO, go straight to the top in its first week of release. It sold in big numbers too, accounting for more than 45 percent of album sales in Taiwan last week. In fact, it and Show Luo's album Rashomon made up almost two-thirds of all albums sold.

S.H.E are a three-member girl group who formed back in 2001, after being discovered on a televised talent show. They had immediate success with their first album, and by 2002 they were named by one radio station as Taiwan's Top Pop Group. In 2003 they won Best Group at Taiwan's major awards ceremony, the Golden Melody Awards, although despite repeated nominations they have yet to repeat that success. They reached their peak in popularity in the mid-2000s with albums like Super Star and Once Upon a Time, and set records with their Fantasy Land and Perfect World 3 concert tours.

SHERO is their tenth studio album, after an 18 month wait since their last record. It contains Loving You, one of the theme songs from the TV drama series Down With Love, and a duet with One Million Stars singing contest runner-up Judy Chou titled Two Person's Desert Island. Mayday lead singer and songwriter Ah Shin has also written a song for them for the first time, the title track.

Rosy Business Stars Head Next Magazine Awards

2010-04-06T14:24:00.007+10:00

Hong Kong's Next Magazine announced its annual TV awards last week, and the winners list was dominated by the two most popular shows of 2009 - Rosy Business (巾帼枭雄) and Beyond the Realm of Conscience (宫心计). The first two spots on Next Magazine's Top Ten Artistes of 2009 went to Rosy Business's two leads, Sheren Tang (邓萃雯, pinyin: Dèng Cuìwén) and Wayne Lai (黎耀祥: Lí Yàoxiáng). However Beyond the Realm of Conscience was named number 1 in the Top Ten TV Programs, with Rosy Business in second position.

Sheren Tang, now in her mid-forties, has been considered unlucky in the past - or the victim of entertainment politics - for not picking up as many awards as she might have deserved. Although she made her acting debut in 1985, it wasn't until 2002 that she won her first major award, a TVB Best Supporting Actress trophy. Two years later, her performance as an evil concubine in the hit series War and Beauty made her one of Hong Kong TV's biggest stars. However, in what was considered a maor upset at the time, she missed out on Best Actress for her performance, having to settle for Best Supporting Actress again instead.

She has received further Best Actress nominations for the TVB series La Femme Desperado (2006), The Family Link (2007) and Your Class or Mine (2008). She finally broke through for a Best Actress award at the Ming Pao awards last November, swiftly followed by victory at the TVB Anniversary awards the following month, beating Beyond the Realm's Charmaine Sheh in what was dubbed the Battle of the FaDans (or Divas).

The forty-five year old Wayne Lai (pictured left) is somewhat of a late bloomer in the business. Although he has appeared in over 50 TV series, and over 20 films, it wasn't until three years ago that he earned his first award. He was named Best Supporting Actor from Malaysian pay-TV channel Astro Wah Lai Toi for his performance in the TVB costume drama Safe Guards. The following year he followed up with a TVB Best Supporting Actor trophy for The Gentle Crackdown II, a comedy series set in the Ming Dynasty. His performance in Rosy Business won him Best Actor trophies at the Ming Pao and TVB Anniversary Awards.

In total Rosy Business had four of its stars in the Top Ten list - Ron Ng was at number eight and series villain Susan Tse was placed ninth. Beyond the Realm of Conscience also accounted for four of the Top Ten artistes: Charmaine Sheh, Tavia Yeung, Moses Chan and Susan Tse, who was in both series.

The full list of the Top Ten TV Artistes is:
1. Sheren Tang
2. Wayne Lai
3. Charmaine Sheh
4. Tavia Yeung
5. Moses Chan
6. Linda Chung
7. Bosco Wong
8. Ron Ng
9. Susan Tse
10. Fala Chen

The Top Ten TV Programs are:
1. Beyond the Realm of Conscience
2. Rosy Business
3. You're Hired
4. E.U
5. A Chip Off the Old Block
6. Burning Flame III
7. Off Pedder
8. A Watchdog's Tale
9. Hong Kong Gossip
10. The Voice

Next Magazine also gave out several other awards including Most Promising Male and Female Artists. The full list of award winners can be found at this Asian Fanatics forum post.

Hong Kong's Most Beautiful Leading Men, According to CNN

2010-03-30T22:33:00.008+11:00

Three journalists from CNN's Hong Kong bureau recently sat down and compiled an intriguing list of "the most talented, charismatic leading men of Hong Kong cinema". They came up with a selection of nineteen actors, headed by the late and sadly missed Leslie Cheung (张国荣, pinyin: Zhāng Guóróng) - a timely choice as we approach the 7th anniversary of his death.

Cheung was only 46 and still at the height of his career when he committed suicide on April Fool's Day, 2003. Like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean, two other tragic and troubled stars who met untimely demises, Cheung has if anything become even more of a cult figure after his death. Already a superstar in his lifetime, he won numerous Best Actor and Best Singer trophies, and in 2000 was named by China's national TV network, CCTV, as Asia's Biggest Superstar.

Cheung was born in Hong Kong in 1956 and endured an unhappy childhood, including a less than pleasant stint in an English boarding school. He got his first break as a singer, performing on a talent show in 1977 and earning a recording contract with Polydor Records. His entertainment career had an unpromising beginning however, with mediocre record sales and an acting debut in a soft porn film. But a combination of persistence and talent won out in the end, and by the mid 80s he was one of Hong Kong's biggest selling pop stars.

The period spanning the mid 80s to the end of the 90s is considered by many as Hong Kong's Golden Age of cinema, and Leslie Cheung was one of the foremost actors of that time. His film credits include A Better Tomorrow and its sequel, A Chinese Ghost Story and its sequel, The Eagle Shooting Heroes and Days of Being Wild for which he won Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards. In 1993 he gave another memorable performance in the mainland production Farewell My Concubine, and in 1994 another Best Actor award, this time from the Hong Kong Film Critics Society for Ashes of Time.

Openly gay in his later years, he progressed from teen idol to serious artist known for taking on risky and emotionally challenging roles. He moved on to directing, but this next stage was cut short when he finally lost his ongoing battle with depression and from the 24th floor of a Hong Kong hotel jumped to his death.

Number 2 on CNN's list of Most Beautiful Men from Hong Kong Cinema is another impossibly photogenic star, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (梁朝伟, pinyin: Liáng Cháowěi). As well as being blessed with matinee idol good looks, which he combines with a soulful almost melancholy presence, Leung is one of Hong Kong's most decorated actors. He has won Best Actor five times at the Hong Kong Film Awards, and taken home the Golden Horse and Golden Bauhinia Best Actor awards three times each.

At number 3 is another Tony Leung, Tong Leung Ka-Fai (梁家辉 , pinyin: Liáng Jiāhuī) - affectionately known as Big Tony to distinguish him from his namesake. It's perhaps a surprising choice with his unconventional good looks and chiselled features. Moreover his versatility meant he was as often as not playing bumbling bespectacled sidekicks or devious crooks rather than traditional leading role heroes. Now in his fifties, Leung Ka-Fai was most recently seen in last year's blockbuster Bodyguards and Assassins.

Representing the new generation at number 4 is Daniel Wu (吴彦祖, pinyin: Wú Yànzǔ). The 35 year-old Californian born actor started his career as a model. In his early career his roles were very much in the teen idol category, but Wu has constantly strived to break out of that teenybopper mould with some ambitious and unconventional role choices. Wu's many caps include writer, director and producer, and he has also set up the social networking site for artists, Alivenotdead.com.

One of Hong Kong's greatest action stars, Chow Yun-Fat (周润发: Zhōu Rùnfā), rounds out the top 5. The towering giant with the languid, easy-going demeanour actually started his career as a soap opera star. In 1980 his career reached new heights when he starred in the gangster series The Bund in which he played a 1930s triad leader. By the mid-80s he was one of Hong Kong film's biggest names with the action blockbusters A Better Tomorrow and City on Fire, then in 1989 starred in what was at the time Hong Kong's biggest grossing film God of Gamblers. Unfortunately he never quite made the leap to international superstar - his Hollywood films were by and large mediocre offerings.

The full list of "19 Most Beautiful Men from Hong Kong cinema" comprises:
1. Leslie Cheung (张国荣)
2. Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (梁朝伟)
3. Tony Leung Ka-Fai (梁家辉)
4. Daniel Wu (吴彦祖)
5. Chou Yun-Fat (周润发)
6. Lui Kei (吕奇)
7. Nicholas Tse (谢霆锋)
8. Patrick Tse (谢贤)
9. Aaron Kwok (郭富城)
10. Kenny Bee (锺镇涛)
11. Danny Chan (陈百强)
12. Ti Lung (狄龙)
13. Daniel Chan (陈晓东)
14. Ekin Cheng (郑伊健)
15. Andy Lau (刘德华)
16. Leon Lai (黎明)
17. Louis Koo (古天乐)
18. Bruce Lee (李小龙)
19. Donnie Yen (甄子丹)

Wang Xueqi Named Best Actor at Asian Film Awards

2010-03-29T20:41:00.005+11:00

The 4th Annual Asian Film Awards, organised by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, were held last week. Although South Korea took home the most awards, including Best Film (Mother), Chinese actors were also prominent.

Mainland actor Wang Xueqi (王学圻, pictured right accepting his award) was named Best Actor for his performance as a tycoon and financial backer of revolutionaries in the Hong Kong action drama Bodyguards and Assassins. The Beijing-born Wang made his film debut back in 1984 in Yellow Earth, a film that heralded the beginning of the Fifth Generation movement in film. Since then his career has been steady rather than spectacular. However two years ago things really began to take off for him. Last year he was nominated at the 3rd Asian Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his memorial performance in Forever Enthralled. He then picked up a Best Actor award for Bodyguards and Assassins in January at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards, and is one of the favourites to win Best Actor at the soon-to-be-announced Hong Kong Film Awards.

Another star of Bodyguards and Assassins, Nicholas Tse (谢霆锋, pinyin: Xiè Tíngfēng), was named Best Supporting Actor. The Hong Kong-born and Canadian and U.S raised Tse started his career as a singer. The 29 year-old has always shown promise as an actor, starting with his debut role in Young and Dangerous: The Prequel in 1998. That performance won him the Best New Performer at the Hong Kong Film Awards, and in 2006 he won Best Supporting Actor at the People's Hundred Flowers Awards playing Jackie Chan's sidekick in New Police Story. His on-screen career however has at times been overshadowed by his off-screen antics, including a short stint in prison for a dangerous driving incident.

Veteran actress Kara Hui (惠英红, pinyin: Huì Yīnghóng), inaugural Best Actress winner at the Hong Kong Film Awards back in 1982, was awarded Best Supporting Actress for her role in At the End of Daybreak, a Malaysian-Hong Kong-Korean co-production. Her performance has already won her a Best Supporting Actress award at Taiwan's Golden Horse awards late last year.

Also in At the End of Daybreak is Malaysia's rising star Jane Ng Meng Hui (黄明慧, pinyin: Huáng Mínghuì), who took home the award for Best Newcomer. Ng, who until recently was better-known in her homeland as an FM breakfast radio announcer, played a 15 year old schoolgirl in the film (in real life she's actually 27). At the End of Daybreak was her film debut.

The powerful City of Life and Death may have missed out on Best Film, but the film's director Lu Chuan (陆川) took home the Best Director award. The war drama which tells the story of the Nanjing Massacre is just Lu's third film, following on from his acclaimed second feature film, Kekexili: Mountain Patrol.

The Asian Film Awards also recognised two of China's most illustrious directors, John Woo (吴宇森, pinyin: Wú Yǔsēn) and Zhang Yimou (张艺谋) . Woo, along with co-producer Terence Chang, was named 2009's Top Grossing Film Director for the historical epic Red Cliff II. Zhang Yimou was honoured with a special award for Outstanding Contribution to Asian Cinema.

The full list of winners and nominees is at the Asian Film Awards website.

Locals Hold Their Own at 2nd Singapore Entertainment Awards

2010-03-18T23:08:00.005+11:00

The 2nd Singapore Entertainment Awards were announced last week with awards announced for music, TV and movies. Two types of prizes were given - the most popular awards as voted by the public, and "Best of" awards voted by a panel of judges from the media.

In the popular awards, Singapore's own JJ Lin (pictured left) won two awards - Most Popular Local Singer and Most Popular Music Video. Another Singaporean, Stephanie Sun, was awarded Most Popular Female Singer while Taiwan's Show Luo was named Most Popular Male Singer. Hong Kong's Eason Chan won his usual suitcase-load of awards: Best Male Singer, Golden Chart Male Singer of the Year, Golden Chart Song of the Year (For You) and Best Album (5F/Blissful).

In the TV categories there were awards handed out to Hong Kong and Taiwan small screen stars. Two stars of the hit Hong Kong series Beyond the Realm of Conscience, Moses Chan and Charmaine Sheh, were named Most Popular Male and Female TV Actor respectively. In the Taiwan categories, Most Popular Male TV Actor was Mark Zhao, last seen in the crime drama Black and White. The Actress award went to singer/actor Rainie Yang, who starred in the romantic comedy series Hi My Sweetheart.

A selection of some of the main award winners are:
Most Popular Male Singer - Show Luo (罗志祥)
Most Popular Female Singer - Stephanie Sun (孙燕姿)
Most Popular Local Singer - JJ Lin (林俊杰)
Most Popular Band - Mayday (五月天)
Most Popular Group - S.H.E
Most Popular Regional Newcomer - Alien Huang (黄鸿升)
Most Popular Music Video - JJ Lin (林俊杰), However Many Hundred Days (第几个100 天)

Best Album - Eason Chan (陈奕迅), 5F/Blissful (上五楼的快活)
Best Local Singer - Tanya Chua (蔡健雅)
Best Male Singer - Eason Chan (陈奕迅)
Best Female Singer - Tanya Chua (蔡健雅)

Best Asian Movie - Mother (South Korea)

Most Popular Hong Kong TV Actor - Moses Chan (陈豪)
Most Popular Hong Kong TV Actress - Charmaine Sheh (佘诗曼)
Most Popular Taiwan TV Actor - Mark Chao (赵又廷)
Most Popular Taiwan TV Actress - Rainie Yang (杨丞琳)

Radio 100.3 U Chart Song of the Year - Kelvin Tan (陈伟联), Forever Friends (分手的情书)
Radio 100.3 Most Popular Song - Yoga Lin (林宥嘉), You Are What You Eat (看见什么吃什么)
Global Chinese Golden Chart Male Singer of the Year - Eason Chan (陈奕迅)
Global Chinese Golden Chart Female Singer of the Year - A-Mei (张惠妹)
Global Chinese Golden Chart New Generation Artistes Of the Year - Yoga Lin (林宥嘉) and Rachael Liang (梁文音)
Global Chinese Golden Chart Group of the Year - Mayday (五月天)
Global Chinese Golden Chart Song Of The Year - Eason Chan (陈奕迅), For You (给你)

The full list of winners can be found here (PDF file and in Chinese).

TVB General Manager Arrested in Corruption Case

2010-03-14T22:56:00.003+11:00

Stephen Chan (陈志云, pinyin: Chén Zhìyún), a general manager with Hong Kong's largest TV network, TVB, has been arrested by Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). Chan, three other TVB employees and an executive of an advertising and production company were all arrested on Thursday March 11 "in relation to corruption allegations". They are alleged to have cheated TVB out of HK$10 million (about US$1.3 million).

While ICAC has yet to release details of the case, the allegations are believed to centre on the actions of a shell company established by Chan and his cohorts. Chan is suspected of awarding TVB production contracts to his shell company, then outsourcing them to other production companies at a cheaper price and pocketing the difference. A second set of allegations is believed to concern the shell company's charging shopping centres and other promotional outlets appearance fees for TVB stars, but not passing the fees on to the stars. Stephen Chan may also be charged with accepting bribes.

As General Manager of broadcasting, a post he held from 2003, Chan was one of TVB's highest ranking executives. He was also the best known to the public, courtesty of a hosting role on the interview show Be My Guest. His dual role as executive and on-screen star was a controversial one, with critics claiming his hosting duties were distracting him from his management responsibilities. Only last month Chan had denied rumours that he would soon leave TVB.

The other four people arrested were TVB head of business development Wilson Chan, variety department executive producer Wilson Chin, TVB actor Ning Jin, and Edthancy Tseng Pei Kun, the director of Idea Empire advertising production company. ICAC has yet to lay any charges, but all four TVB employees were suspended by the station after the arrests.