#白帝

[aredhel-erinti]

Love and Redemption – Bailin

Behold! A meta about Bailin from Love and Redemption, if there’s anyone interested. It’s quite long, so be warned...

Many thanks to my dear @nieninque-nyerea for huge help with the translation from my mother tongue - I would never have the mental strength to do it by my self!

Bailin

Bailin is a complicated character... and that's the reason why it's so sad that all opinions about him are so simplified and can be summed up in three words "he's the worst". Because he isn't... and at the same time, yes, he definitely is. As you can see, the situation is complicated. It's honestly quite surprising how much people want to simplify his actions and character, especially considering the complex psyche of the main trio (or quartet, depending on viewer's philosophy) which makes the whole story so interesting, compelling and surprising (with a help of the wonderful secondary characters, but shh :)). I guess human desire for simple, black and white answers is our greatest superpower…

I would like to start with a small polemic about whether Bailin is a villain. I realize I'm being a bit loose with the terminology here, but I'd argue that he is not a villain. "What?" I hear the indignant voice of the internet – as if we didn't have enough evidence that in the end it was all his fault! (And there really is plenty of evidence.) If I may, I would call Bailin more of an antagonist, someone who is in opposition to the hero – if we consider Si Feng  the hero of the story, then completely deliberately, if the hero is Xuan Ji/Rahu Ketu, then Bailin is in opposition which he himself is hardly aware of, or at least does not admit to. As horrible as Bailin's actions are (and they are), what's really interesting are his motivations. So, enough of the quibble – what is really Bailin's deal?

The answer is very surprising in its simplicity – it's all about doing good. That's right - Bailin is unable to see his actions as problematic, let alone evil, because he firmly believes that whatever he does, he is acting in the service of what is „right“. Terrible is the surprise at the end of the story for him and his subjects, who got dragged along by the unbreakable strength of his conviction that what they are doing is right. (Flying Snake is the only exception, and even his dilemma it is not about the goodness of Heavenly Realm, but about the choice of duty vs friends.) It is not unusual in stories that even a completely unadulterated villain, let alone an antagonist, is convinced of the rightness of his behavior and the hero is primary someone who ignores his motivations and constantly stands in his way, and is therefore in the villain's/antagonist's interest to get rid of them. (We could include the relationship between Bailin and Si Feng into this category.) It is considerably less common when the antagonist is not aware of his opposition to the hero, and is even convinced on fundemental level that everything he does is only helping the hero - even if it‘s the very disintegration of hero's personality. And that is exactly the relationship between Bailin and Xuan Ji/Rahu Ketu. When one looks back at all of Bailin's actions, crimes, and even wilful acts it's actually surprising that his plan isn't more sinister and his motivations far darker. After all, Bailin really wants victory over the enemy (in his case, the victory of Heavenly Realm over demons), and in doing so he does not stand out from the ranks of other characters on both sides of the conflict. What makes Bailin truly unique is the radicality and disproportionality of his solutions, which often not only worsen the entire problem, but in several cases directly cause a brand new one. And all of this happens while Bailin is fully convinced of his truth, his rationality and the infallibility of his own decisions.

And that brings us to what is Bailin really like. Bailin does not have to be inherently evil to be destructive - both to himself and to others. He only needs two characteristics to do this, and both can be summed up in one problem - the lack of (appropriate) self-reflection.

These two characteristics are paranoia and lying to himself (especially in emotional matters).

Bailin belongs to that group of people who believe there is someone after them. Who? Everyone, anyone. The world is full of tricks and traps, you can't trust anyone, except maybe those you have authority over, and even there you're on a thin ice. You can't rely on anyone - and trusting someone emotionally is out of the question! It is always necessary to count on the worst possibility imaginable and look for the worst conceivable motive in others. Bailin's decisions in their monstrosity unsurprisingly match this mindset. Why wouldn't he decide for the worst possible solution, when he is convinced that only his own alertness and preparedness prevent others from using similar weapon against him?

To paranoia is strongly linked lying to oneself. In the world as Bailin sees it, is no place for weakness, hesitation, trust, let alone feelings. All of these things make Bailin (in his mind) an easy prey. Feelings most of all – for him to have feelings for anyone would be a tragedy indeed! It is necessary to fight against these things, or rather to deny their existence, not only in front of others, but above all in front of yourself. All unpleasant feelings and unexpected emotions can be rationalized! Woe be him who tries to impose feelings and emotions on you while you are working so hard for the good of Heavenly Realm! The problem is that Bailin is a good liar - he manages to manipulate a number of characters throughout the story, but he doesn't manipulate anyone better than himself.

Such relationship with reality can be deadly enough on itself, but the circumstances of Bailin's life take it to a truly terrifying extreme. Bailin is no nobody, he is the king of Heavenly Realm (I don't know the exact title), and the ongoing war with demons directly affects him. The very necessity of winning would justify a lot in Bailin's eyes. And into that comes Rahu Ketu and the much-hated feelings and emotions. Bailin does not understand himself - or, more precisely, does not want to understand himself. He is in a complicated situation and he knows only two things for sure. First: there is a war that is not going well, and he must win it – but it is the demons who hold all the triumphs in the form of their strongest general. In order for Bailin to win, he will have to get rid of this obstacle. Second: It is the same demon general that he must get rid of, without whom he cannot imagine his life. But Bailin doesn't like to think about that.

Bailin's paranoia does not allow him to accept or even imagine any other solution to their situation than victory, preferably an absolute victory – the enemy cannot be trusted, just as one cannot trust any peace designs, even should the enemy party come up with them. If Bailin doesn't attack first, in the fastest and smartest way, they will definitely lose! Of course, he can't even trust that „friend“ who sits and drinks with him so often, Bailin mustn't be fooled! Although he might wish they could sit together like this forever...

The solution Bailin will choose is a truly horrifying display of rationalized paranoia.

He is not committing a war crime, he is just doing what is necessary for Heavenly Realm to win! (Regarding the war crime: I'm sure poisoning a peace messenger would fall in this category. And yes, Bailin didn't know what message Rahu Ketu carried, but he would have known if he had listened to him. But he won't because he convinced himself such thing is not possible – that it will be either his solution or his loss. But even if we give him the benefit if doubt for not knowing, the attack was still made by trickery during friendly negotiation.)

And it's not like he wants to keep Rahu Ketu with him at all times, so he can never leave him, faithful and stripped of any identity that could possibly cause them to become enemies again! No, he is merely providing a weapon for Heavenly Realm which they never had and that will guarantee their victory!

And he doesn't at all take revenge on all the demons (including Rahu Ketu) when he orders God of War to slaughter her own people and her king. No, he's just making sure the rebellion will never happen again! So what – God of War will never even remember who she is, or realize who she killed, so why would it matter???

All altruistic and selfless reasons! In one move Bailin won the war and got rid of all his enemies. How could that be wrong??

In the same way it is later absolutely necessary that Xuan Ji does not regain her senses - not because she could then fall in love and forever leave Bailin for Si Feng, but because she could then become terrible, evil (or rather rightfully pissed off) demon and destroy the whole world! And if that strategy fails, then it's necessary to get rid of Xuan Ji, Si Feng and Jade Cup, because evil demon, war, and the destruction of the world are all serious problems - they don't necessarily have anything to do with the fact that Bailin really does not want to meet Rahu Ketu again and face him after all the things he had done to him.

From Bailin's point of view all of his decisions seem reasonable and sound. Logical. As if there really was nothing else to do. Of course, the problem is that Bailin's perception of the world is anything but reasonable and sound. It's paranoid and distorted – the demons are asking for peace after all, Rahu Ketu's feelings are sincere and he's not plotting any treachery or attack, Si Feng isn't after him... we could go on. Bailin can pass off his paranoia as rationality only by the force of his will and his own lies. But he indeed has a strong will and had believed his own lies a long time ago.

And so finally, Bailin stands before us as we know him - in his own eyes, and in the eyes of many, the paragon of goodness, purity and fighting for the right thing, especially in a world where the enemy could be everywhere, even (or maybe especially?) among one's closest people. Bailin shines so brightly precisely because he firmly believes that what he is doing is right. He relies on his own abilities and his own judgment, because his suspiciousness does not allow him to trust the judgment and motives of others. He is controlling, dominating even , because deep down he fears abandonment (without acknowledging it) and he is not able in front of himself to call love by its real name - he'd rather dress it up in a guise of usefulness and calculation, because what he fears most of all is to be loved only to be betrayed. If that should be the case, isn't it less painful to betray first?

Rahu Ketu is the person Bailin loves in all his complexity, including the potential danger he represents. God of War is the same beloved person, robbed of everything that could threaten Bailin – loyalty to the enemy, knowledge of her past, awareness of her own self; she is ideal because she is Bailin's and she cannot leave or betray him – she would be leaving and betraying her only identity. (Or rather Bailin thinks she can't, but life sucks...) Xuan Ji, on the other hand, is for Bailin the worst possible version of the same person: she's another erasure, a desperate attempt to recreate the person God of War was before her rebellion. But this time she doesn't know or love Bailin and her will is her own. She is not burdened by Rahu Ketu's consciousness, and yet Bailin has to watch her "worst" instincts win for nine lifetimes. When the tenth life comes, Bailin panics and heads down to Earth to get her back under his control before it's too late. But alas, it's too late already – while he wasn't with Xuan Ji, someone else had been... Bailin has hurt all three versions of his beloved person – denying or trying to deny each of them the right to freedom, an independent life and, what is most painfull, their own identity. Rahu Ketu states many times that he is not Xuan Ji and wants nothing to do with her, even though Xuan Ji undoubtedly is a part of him – but it's the part that was forced on him, that he was bound into, and for that Bailin can't be so easily forgiven... And Bailin, high above everyone in his white clouds but unable to admit the truth, says: "I didn't do anything wrong, just what was necessary!"

So what's the conclusion? Is Bailin really "the worst"? As I said in the beginning – he is, as well as he isn't… but for me Bailin is primarily tragic figure. He is definitely the person whose decision will negatively affect the largest number of people. His decisions are some of the worst. But his motivations... are surprisingly pure, although absolutely misguided. Bailin doesn't want to commit evil – he just hasn't realized that he is doing exactly that. What is worse – conscious malice or a mistaken belief in one's own sanctity, is up to everyone. Bailin's actions and their appalling utilitarianism cannot be very well defended, but I would find extenuating circumstances in his motivations.

And it's not only that - perhaps the most telling part is the end of Bailin's story. Because in the end Bailin submits and admits his fault. Yes, a higher up must appear - Bailin is too convinced that the world, as seen through his paranoia, is the real world so it is impossible for anyone but the ultimate authority to open his eyes - the most powerful one and the one with "the patent for the truth", the one in whose interest was Bailin convinced he has been acting. Metaphorically speaking, Bailin must cry out upwards: I did it all for You and for the sake of  Heavenly Realm! And he must hear emperor's „no“ to find humility. But Bailin‘s humility is real - such humility can only exist in someone who was not only truly convinced that he was doing the right thing, but who also sincerely wanted to do the right thing. Bailin's humility is beautiful in its tragedy - although Bailin had a habit of listening mostly only to himself, his ego is not what matters the most to him. The prosperity of Heavenly Realm is what matters the most, so the knowledge of his own failure is therefore more painful to him than any punishment.

Simply put, Bailin has a beautiful “Am I a baddie?” moment, and the most tragic part of the whole situation is that this really is a brand new information for him. What should he do with himself now?

All that remains is to drink the offered cup, resigned to his fate.

It's a different punishment than voluntarily giving up one's powers – that was an acknowledgment of incompetence, of mistakes. I surrender that with which I have done much evil in the name of good. I'm giving up my powers because I can't no longer trust myself.

This is a different kind of punishment - it carries hope. It carries within itself a new chance to get it right.

Perhaps at the very end, Rahu Ketu isn't really asking for a punishment, but for a sign of trust - a sign of the biggest change Bailin will have to go through.

Will you drink? Will you relinquish the control, you've clung to, the one for which you've ruined so many lives? Because of which you ruined my life? Will you overcome your fear and walk with me into the unknown? I already know what it's like to lose control, what it's like to be tossed around by forces more powerful than yourself and don't even know your own name - will you dare? Can you surrender yourself to the world and the people in it with the faith that they won't hurt you?

Will you drink with me?

[runesalt]

翻訳してもらいました。(掲載許可貰ってます）

https://twitter.com/Rune_Salt

https://twitter.com/jingdouchahanh1

[esoterics-posts]

#太陽系 ー #太陽神スーリャ

#秘教哲学 #伝導瞑想

お互いの宗教の伝統を尊重しなさいー。

#仏教徒、#キリスト教徒、#ヒンドゥー教、#イスラム教、#ユダヤ教...。#真我(私)を経験して欲しい。

空には天国の様な雲の切れ間から光のカーテンが差していた。広大無辺なる存在の臨在があなたと共にある。

#太陽神スーリャ

#大日如来

白ー #光 #光線 #真我 #チョハン #天帝 Version

黒ー #宇宙 #ダークマター #宇宙意識 Version２

[lastdarkness-gallery]

[project-maggot-night]

[ggpiu]

[rennebright]

フォーミダブル by 白帝/WhiteM [Twitter/X] ※Illustration shared with permission from the artist. If you like this artwork please support the artist by visiting the source.

[chaoticpeachprince]

日本渔民和水产业者哭诉：政府太愚蠢了，未来...

当地时间8月24日上午10时，日本（专题）福岛县新地町地区的渔民陆续回港，3小时后，福岛第一核电站启动核污染水排海。据日本东京新闻25日报道，这些起早贪黑、皮肤黝黑的渔民满载而归，但他们看起来并不开心，忧心忡忡地表示，“今天的鱼没有受到核污染水影响，但明天以后会怎么样”？

“所有的渔民都哭了，政府太愚蠢了。”谈到核污染水排海，福岛县的渔民如此说道。

日本启动排海后，中方宣布全面暂停进口日本水产品。日本NHK电视台称，日本渔民和水产从业者闻此几近绝望，直言“震惊”、“今后将无法生存”；另一边，日本东京新闻注意到，在中国市场，日本水产品正逐步被澳大利亚、挪威等地和中国本土的水产品取代。

The above picture comes from "观察者网"

日本福岛，一名渔民茫然地坐在渔港边。

The above picture comes from "观察者网"

24日上午，福岛县渔民赶在核污染水排海前回港。图自日媒（下同）

日本东京新闻称，对于日方处理核污染水的方式，福岛县渔民称：“没有人能接受，这是在践踏渔民的心。”但他们无奈地表示，不管他们如何反对，都阻止不了日本政府的行为，“别无选择，只能接受”。

对现状感到忧虑的不只是福岛渔民。日本NHK电视台25日报道称，在中方宣布全面暂停进口日本水产品后，世代以捕鱼为生的日本其他县市的渔民，以及依赖中国出口的水产从业者，同样受到冲击，表示“已无法作为渔民生存下去”、“感到一切都是徒劳”……

与此同时，已经有一些日本渔民取消了本季节的捕鱼劳作，水产行业纷纷呼吁政府提供支持。

来自日本鹿岛市的中岛翼一边从事海蜇捕捞，一边种植海藻。24日下午，他收到了出口经销商的电话，被通知取消水产品交易。于是，他决定从25日起取消海蜇捕捞工作。

“我本来打算像往常一样去捕捞，现在突然停止了，这让我很震惊。每年这个时候，海蜇是我唯一的收入来源，所以我很担心明年以后会怎么样。”中岛翼称。

The above picture comes from "观察者网"

“震惊，很担心明年以后会怎么样”

一段时间以来，位于日本三重县的一家海鲜加工厂一直致力于扩大对华出口。该公司销售部负责人中泽祥告诉NHK：“我对中国全面暂停进口日本水产品的决定感到惊讶。中国市场巨大，我们正开发产品满足中国的需求，这意味着我们之前都在浪费时间。我希望政府行动起来，尽快恢复出口。”

“如果进口暂停时间延长，我作为扇贝渔民将无法生存。”日本北海道渔民小川政浩表示，他已经花了两年的时间养殖扇贝，而中国是北海道扇贝的主要出口地，因此希望日本政府采取有效措施。

The above picture comes from "观察者网"

“我将无法生存”

就在日本渔民、水产业者“哀鸿遍野”之际，日本东京新闻发现，在中国市场，日本水产品正逐步被澳大利亚、挪威等地和中国本土的水产品取代。

8月23日至25日，第17届上海国际渔业博览会正在举行。日媒称，来自20多个国家和地区的4000家企业参展，但其中只有少数日本公司。

在日本启动核污染水排海的消息传来时，正在参会的一家中国海参加工公司总经理感叹道，“日本还有5吨库存要运往中国，现在我们只好将货退回去”。另一家海鲜加工公司的高管也说：“现在我们会先看看情况。如果无法通关，我们会增加中国本土的水产品生产。”

在博览会的另一边，一家中国进口商的金枪鱼切割表演吸引了很多人。日媒注意到，使用的金枪鱼来自澳大利亚，并非日本，而日本金枪鱼此前一直是博览会的热门产品。对于中国全面暂停进口日本水产品的消息，这家进口商的负责人表示，“我们已经找到了替代品，完全不受影响”。

The above picture comes from "观察者网"

The above picture comes from "观察者网"

澳大利亚金枪鱼和挪威三文鱼在上海国际渔业博览会受到欢迎

当地时间8月24日13时，日本政府无视国际社会的强烈质疑和反对，单方面强行启动福岛核事故污染水排海。东京电力公司就此事在临时记者会上宣布，今天的核污染水排放量预计为200到210吨，每天的排放情况将在次日公布。首次排海每天将排放约460吨，持续17天，合计排放约7800立方米核污染水。

8月22日，香港（专题）和澳门特区政府相继宣布，自8月24日起禁止日本10个都县区食品进口。

海关总署进出口食品安全局负责人24日表示，为防范受到放射性污染的日本食品输华，保护人民群众生命健康，海关总署持续开展对日本食品放射性污染风险的评估，在严格确保安全的基础上，对从日本进口食品采取了强化监管措施。

与此同时，韩国、马来西亚、泰国等国陆渡宣布将对日本进口食品采取严格检测措施。

日媒援引日本水产厅数据显示，2022年日本水产品出口总额约为3870亿日元（26亿美元），并且在过去几年一直呈上升趋势。日本水产品对华出口约占总量的22.5%，中国是其最大的出口国，其中扇贝、鲣鱼、金枪鱼是对华主要出口品种。日本帝国数据银行最新数据显示，至少将有700多家直接或间接对中国出口的日本企业会受新措施影响，预计二级和三级贸易商也将被波及。

日媒指出，中国在日本水产品出口中占据“断层”领先地位，诸多日本水产和加工企业在中方管制措施发布后“陷入恐慌”：福冈一水产公司社长坦言听到消息后“大脑一片空白”、北海道一水产加工公司看着冰库里十几吨还没装运的冷冻扇贝发愁、当地渔业协会工作人员更无奈道“该来的还是来了”……

一时之间，日本国内水产行业相关人员“哀鸿遍野”，日本全国渔业协会联合会（全渔联）会长亦火速打电话向日本内阁经济产业大臣西村康稔控诉：“全国渔民都对此非常惊讶。”

日本财务大臣铃木俊一25日对此表示，（这一措施）对于日本国内水产品相关从业者造成了巨大的影响，应该认真的思考可以采取怎样的救济措施，并要求农林水产部及经济产业部尽快研究可行的对策。而日本农林水产大臣野村哲郎就中方措施宣称，“非常吃惊，完全没有预料到”。

不仅出口受挫，近来更有不少日本渔业和水产加工行业者透露，国内消费者也出现了停止购买水产品的情况。在宫城县经营水产品加工公司的远藤仁志称，一直与其有合作的静冈县多家超市暂停采购有关地区的水产品，这让刚刚才被香港客户退货50箱扇贝的他心态彻底崩了，“怎么连日本国民都这样呢？”

对于日方一系列要求中方立即撤销进口管制措施的言论，8月24日，中国驻日本大使吴江浩强调，中国政府宣布全面暂停进口原产地为日本的水产品，是理所当然的，也是完全必要的。造成这一局面的责任完全在日方，日方应该反躬自省。

[suzalulusource]

★4 ジュリアス [帝国の黒き軍師] ★4 スザク [帝国の白き死神]

[yoga-onion]

Legends of the humanoids

Reptilian humanoids (6)

Azure Dragon – Meng Zhang, the blue divine sovereign who protects the East.

The Azure Dragon is one of the guardians of the four cardinal directions in traditional Chinese culture, and according to the Five Elements phylosophy (Wuxing: Ref), the Azure Dragon is a spirit animal of the East. The Azure dragon has been considered a auspicious sign since ancient times, and governs spring (January, February and March).

In the Taoist version of his name, he was known as the divine sovereign ‘Meng Zhang’ and was the founder of the Dragon Tribe (a tribe that lived in the Dragon Realm and respected freedom).

The guardians of the four cardinal directions is another name for the Four Gods (Four Symbols) in Chinese mythology. They are the Blue Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird and the Black Tortoise (also called "Black Warrior").

Symbol of the five elements of the bagua, god of the four directions, genus of the divine sovereigns.

In Taoism, the Four Symbols have been assigned human identities and names. The Azure Dragon of the East is named ‘Meng Zhang’, the Vermilion Bird of the South is called ‘Ling Guang’, the White Tiger of the West is ‘Jian Bing’, and the Black Tortoise of the North ‘Zhi Ming’.

Astronomically, it corresponds to the Chinese constellations system, the Seven Eastern Mansions of the Twenty-Eight Mansions. The name derives from the seven eastern mansions (Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail and Winnowing Basket) being linked together to form the figure of a dragon.

伝説のヒューマノイドたち

ヒト型爬虫類 (6)

青龍 〜 東方を守護する蒼い神君「孟章」

青龍は中国の伝統文化の中の天之四霊 (てんのしれい) の一つで、五行学説（参照）に基づくと、青龍は東方の霊獣である。青龍は古来瑞兆とされており、青龍は、春 (1月、2月、3月) を司る。

道教における人格神化した名前では、神君「孟章」と呼ばれ、「龍族 (龍界に住み、自由であることを尊ぶ種族)」の始祖とされた。

天之四霊（てんのしれい）は、中国神話に登場する四神（四象）の別称。青龍、白虎、朱雀、玄武のことである。八卦五行の象徴、四方の神、四帝の属。

道教では、四象には人間の身分と名前が与えられている。東の青龍は孟章（もうしょう）、南の朱雀は霊光（れいこう）、西の白虎は建冰（けんびん）、北の黒亀は執明（めいしゅう）と呼ばれる。

天文学的には、中国の星座系、二十八宿の東方七宿に相当する。東方七宿（角宿・亢宿(頸)・氐宿(根)・房宿(室)・心宿・尾宿・箕宿）が連なり、龍の姿になることからこの名がある。

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[wlwcatalogue]

Female Queer Icons of Hong Kong // Yam Kim Fai (任劍輝) and Pak Suet Sin (白雪仙)

Photo 1: Promotional photo for 1955 contemporary movie The Model and the Car (玉女香車) (no video available) (Source: LCSD Museum Collection Search Portal)

Photo 4: Photo from Sin Fung Ming Opera Troupe's 1958 trip

Photo 5: Photo from a 1962 newspaper feature on Yam, Pak, and others at their (?) summer villa in Central, Hong Kong

Photo 6: Christmas celebrations with Yam, Pak, and their protégés of the Chor Fung Ming Troupe

Far and away the most iconic duo in Cantonese opera, Yam Kim Fai (任劍輝) and Pak Suet Sin (白雪仙) – commonly referred to simply as Yam-Pak (任白) – were famed for their partnership both on and off the stage… Click below to learn more!

Edit on 28/07/2023: Updated to link to a photo of the entrance to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum’s Pop Culture 60+ exhibit, and to add information regarding Yam and Pak's marriage status.

Iconic? How?

Yam-Pak are the face of Cantonese opera; you can't talk about the latter without mentioning the former. It's to the point where a gigantic picture of them graces the entrance to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum’s permanent exhibition on Hong Kong pop culture’s evolution across the past 60 years (“Hong Kong Pop 60+”) - they are the first thing you see upon entering!

Best known as the originators - with Yam playing the male leads and Pak the female leads - of five masterpieces of Cantonese opera, namely:

1. Princess Cheung Ping (帝女花) 2. The Legend of the Purple Hairpin (紫釵記) 3. The Dream Tryst in the Peony Pavilion (牡丹亭驚夢) 4. The Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom (再世紅梅記) 5. Butterfly and Red Pear Blossom (蝶影紅梨記) (Note: Princess Cheung Ping, Purple Hairpin, and Butterfly and Red Pear Blossom were made into abridged movie versions, with the Sin Fung Ming troupe members reprising their roles from the theatre productions. Also, the "Fragrant Sacrifice" (香夭) duet from Princess Cheung Ping (movie clip) is one of - if not the most - famous songs in Cantonese opera.)

Yam and Pak were the leading pair and co-founders of the legendary Sin Fung Ming Opera Troupe (仙鳳鳴劇團; 1956-1961), which is widely held to have pushed Cantonese opera forward as an artform due to Pak and scriptwriter Tong Tik Sang’s (唐滌生) emphasis on poetic libretti and adapting source material from Chinese literature and history. (Note: it has been common practice since the 1930's for Cantonese opera troupes to be founded by key actor(s).)

They were also very active in the Hong Kong film industry in the 1950's, being paired in over 40 movies together across roughly 8 years. One of those – the aforementioned Butterfly and Red Pear Blossom (蝶影紅梨記) – is the sole Cantonese opera movie on the Hong Kong Film Archive’s 100-Must See Hong Kong Movies list (IMDB list / archived version of the official PDF). It's a well-deserved inclusion - check out this beautifully-shot dance scene.

Even their post-retirement activities had a significant effect on the industry! In the early 1960’s, they held auditions for prospective students and provided - for free - systematic, hands-on training to those who passed; Yam and Pak even hired other veterans to teach skills they personally were not as familiar with. Prior to this, apprentices were expected to learn primarily from observing their masters, and to pay handsomely for the privilege. Yam-Pak’s methods proved exceedingly effective: the Chor Fung Ming Opera Troupe (雛鳳鳴劇團; 1963-1992) starring their apprentices reigned supreme in the 1970’s-1980’s. Following this success, Cantonese opera institutes - most notably the major 1900s-era guild, the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong (八和會館) - started to offer systematic coaching to young hopefuls in the 1980's.

Okay, so why are they queer icons specifically?

The lazy answer is that they're queer icons because nearly all of Yam's roles were male, so Gender is involved by default, and since most hit Cantonese operas of the time were romances, that means you get to see two female actors performing being in love onscreen (and also on stage, but there aren't any video recordings from back then). So far, so Takarazuka Revue.

Female actors playing male roles in Cantonese opera To give some context, each Cantonese opera performer specialises in one of four major role-types, and Yam was a sung (生) - i.e. an actor specialised in playing standard male roles. Female sung were fairly common in the 1910's-1930's due to women being banned from performing with men during that period, but when the ban lifted in the mid-1930's, many troupes shifted towards cis-casting. Yam was pretty much the only one whose popularity survived the transition. Just take a look at the huge number of Cantonese opera movies produced during the 1950’s-1960’s – you’ll be hard-pressed to find a female sung other than Yam, let alone one with top billing. Happily, thanks to Yam's immense popularity, her profilic film career (over 300 movies!), and the prominence of Sin Fung Ming works in the Cantonese opera canon, there has been a resurgence in female sung which endures to this day. Two noteworthy examples are Yam's protégé Sabrina Lee/ Loong Kim Sang (龍劍笙) - a star in her own right - and Joyce Koi/ Koi Ming Fai (蓋鳴暉), one of the biggest names still active in the industry. (Note: perhaps due to cinema being more "realistic" in nature, Yam's early movies often involved her playing female characters cross-dressing as men, including in some Cantonese opera movies. However, she received increasingly more male roles as her fame grew, and from the mid-1950's onwards she was playing male characters onscreen nearly exclusively-- even in non-Cantonese opera movies! See Photo 1 above.)

What sets Yam and Pak apart is that they were particularly known for their chemistry. Long before Sin Fung Ming's formation in 1956, the advertising copy for their first Cantonese opera movie together - Frolicking with a Pretty Maid in the Wineshop (酒樓戲鳳, 1952) - declared "Only this movie has Yam-Pak flirting on the silver screen" (source - 華僑日報 1952/05/23-26). And indeed, they were popular for their flirtatious duets: their Cantonese opera works invariably contained at least one, and such scenes made it into some of non-Cantonese opera (i.e. "contemporary") movies too. In fact, there are not one but two contemporary movies where Yam and Pak's characters are not paired up and yet still sing a duet together in such a way that their significant other(s) become convinced that the two are in romantically interested in each other - see 1952's Lovesick (為情顛倒) and 1956's The Happy Hall (滿堂吉慶) - a weirdly specific situation which doesn't crop up in the other, non-Yam-Pak movies I have seen.

Speaking of contemporary movies, let's talk about a certain plotline that keeps cropping up in works featuring the both of them and where Yam plays a woman! Six of the eleven movies which fit that criteria involve Yam's character cross-dressing as a man (a common characteristic across Yam's handful of female roles), and Pak's character falling for her. Nothing ever comes of it, of course, but, um. It was certainly a trend. Actually, even their very first movie together - 1951's Lucky Strike (福至心靈) - falls into this category.

Such storylines, and the emphasis on their chemistry, are particularly interesting given that both Yam and Pak remained ostensibly unmarried throughout. This was unusual for female performers of their stature, who tended to wed in their twenties, often to fellow-actors or wealthy men (e.g. Hung Sin Nui/紅線女, Fong Yim Fun/芳艷芬, and Tang Pik Wan/鄧碧雲)... In contrast, by the time Yam-Pak retired from the stage in 1961, they were both over 30 years old and without husbands.

Also, did I mention they were popularly believed to be living together? There doesn't seem to be any conclusive evidence either way... although it's a little strange that separate newspaper pictorials depicting "Yam at home" and "Pak at home" seem to be of the same location... however what is conclusive is that they did spent a lot of time together offstage. Pak has talked about how when they had no guests over, Yam would watch TV by herself while Pak was in the living room (source - p93), and protégé Mandy Fung/ Mui Suet Sze (梅雪詩) has said that Pak would sometimes cook for Yam at home (source - 03:53~). They would also celebrate birthdays, New Year's, and Christmas together (see Photo 6 for an example of the latter).

Shortly after Yam's passing in 1989, Pak set up the Yam Kim Fai and Pak Suet Sin Charitable Foundation (任白慈善基金) to support the arts and provide welfare for the elderly. In 1996, Pak made a large donation to Hong Kong University, resulting in one of the buildings being renamed Yam Pak Building (任白樓) in thanks (source).

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to DM me or send an ask if you have any questions, or are just interested in learning more.

If you made it here, have this bonus piece of trivia - Yam and Pak were also well-acquainted with Hong Kong's preeminent queer icon, Leslie Cheung (張國榮), who was a massive fan of theirs. Sadly there don't seem to be any pictures of them before Yam's passing, but here's one of Pak (centre) having afternoon tea with Cheung (left) and his long-term romantic partner Daffy Tong (唐鶴德) (right) at the Cova cafe in the Pacific Place shopping mall.

[luminouslumity]

Another year, another season, another post going into Chinese mythology (mostly in how it pertains to Journey to the West).

LI JING (李靖) is someone I've actually already discussed a bit here in terms of his and Nezha's backstories, but for JttW specifically, he's sent by the Jade Emperor to subdue Sun Wukong, and of course things don't go well in his favor. Later, he attempts to help Sun Wukong in apprehending the One-Horned Rhinoceros King and later shows up to arrest the Bull Demon King, and again after Tang Sanzang is kidnapped by the GOLDEN-NOSED WHITE-HAIRED RODENT-SPIRIT (金鼻白毛老鼠精), otherwise known as LADY EARTH FLOW (地涌夫人).

The SIXIANG (四象), or Four Signs, include ZHUQUE (朱雀), XUANWU (玄武), BAIHU (白虎), and QINGLONG (青龍) are the guardians of the four cardinal directions (South for the Vermillion Bird/Zhuque, North for the Black Tortoise/Xuanwu, West for the White Tiger/Baihu, and East for the Azure Dragon/Qinglong). In JttW, they are referenced towards the end in a poem:

One Real Body dropped to the dusty plain

Fuses with Four Signs to tend the self again.

In Five Phases terms forms are dead and void;

The fiends' vain names one should all avoid.

Great Bodhi's the right Candana fruition;

Appointments crown this rise from perdition.

Gracious light of scriptures now worldwide dilates,

As five sages live within Advaya's gates.

Much like the dragon family he'd married into, the NINE-HEADED BEAST (九頭蟲) is a thief, having collaborated with his father-in-law, the Wansheng Dragon King (萬聖龍王), into stealing a Buddhist relic—known as a Śarīra—from Jisai's Golden Ray Monastery. Erlang Shen's dog bites one of his heads off, but he manages to escape otherwise.

Like in many other religions, NÜWA (女媧) is said to have molded humans from clay, having initially creating what would become the nobility by hand before resorting to mass production for the rest. One day, when the heavens began to crumble—its cause depending on the source—she gathered five colored stones to patch up the sky, while a tortoise's legs would be used as pillars for support.

The Underworld in Chinese mythology is said to be divided into several hells and overseen by YANWANG (閻王) alongside nine other kings: QINGUANGWANG (秦广王), CHUJIANGWANG (楚江王), SONGDIWANG (宋帝王), WUGUANWANG (五官王), BIANCHENGWANG (卞城王), TAISHANWANG (泰山王), PINGDENGWANG (平等王), DUSHIWANG (都市王), and ZHUANLUNWANG (转轮王). Most infamously, Sun Wukong erased his name and that of every monkey he knew from the Ledger of Life and Death and to prevent them from dying.

[sashi-ya]

Today, my nihongo no sensei asked me which was my "fave character" from Bleach. So, of course, I had to mention Byakuya. The thing is, that I've been learning kanji for some weeks now and even if I'm not expected to learn more than what she is giving us for N5 level, I really enjoy learning as many as I can. That includes N4 and N3 level ones (they aren't that hard, believe me). Therefore, I was able to write down Byakuya's name fully in Kanji: " 朽木白哉 ".

Now, because I'm a sucker for hidden meanings, we already know his name has a special (as Hisana does) one. The "Kuchi / 朽木" stands for "decay" and Ki/木 means "tree". As for his name, Byakuya/ 白哉 the combination forms "midnight sun" or "white light in the dark" or even "white night" (pretty abstract, but still beautiful and precise for his Hakuteiken technique/白帝剣).

Now, the little coincidence (it might be just a coincidence, believe me I'm just a beginner) I found is in the last kanji of his name : 哉. It is also used with the combination: 善哉 which both mean "well done" (pretty interesting if you think about Byakuya's obsession for perfection too) but also "Zenzai". Zenzai is a soup, that varies with every region. But in general is made of Azuki beans. And do you remember who wanted to cook Shiratama Zenzai for Byakuya in the "Honey Dish Rhapsody" novel? Yes, his beloved sister Rukia! 🥺💖

If it's just a coincidence I don't care, is still cute :P (But we all know how much Kubo likes to play with this hidden little easter eggs)

[project-maggot-night]

[buffetlicious]

The lazy Susan was quickly filled with dishes as we continued with our reunion dinner. The Prawn Paste Chicken (虾酱鸡) featured plump and juicy mid-wings coated in a batter of fermented shrimp paste. Also known as Har Cheong Gai, it is crispy with an umami aftertaste and a hit with young and old.

The stir-fried French Bean with Dried Shrimp (虾米四季豆) might look deceptively plain but plain and simple it is not! The string beans or green beans is flash-fried with minced hae bee (dried shrimps) to absorb the wok hei (wok thermal radiation or breath of the wok) yet maintained the crunchy texture and aroma of the sea (dried shrimp). This dish was one of the highlights of the dinner.

My nephew asked for this Fried Rice with Chicken (鸡丁炒饭) as he preferred it over the steamed white rice the rest of us are having. The Yam Ring (佛钵飘香) featured a ring of deep-fried mashed yam (taro) and filled with sautéed seafood such as prawn, squid and also various vegetables. Normally one would also find cashew nuts in it, but I didn’t notice any this time. Plating is done haphazardly as the chef just poured everything into the yam ring. If I will to do it, I would place the vegetables at the bottom and present the seafood on top with a sprinkle of crunchy cashew nuts over it. Anyway, dish is passable but not fantastic in taste and an “F” for presentation.

Popeye’s power booster canned vegetable is reimagined into Spinach with Trio Eggs (三皇苋菜). To enhance the power, three kinds of egg are used – normal chicken egg, preserved century egg and salted duck egg. Finally, the eyes is also protected with goji berry or wolfberry added into the thick soup. With all the above ingredients used, how can a vegetable soup like this not be good for you?

Fish Maw & Crab Meat Soup (蟹肉鱼鳔羮) is the most expensive dish of the night at S$45 (large portion) due to the two premium ingredients. The thickened soup is chocked with the spongy fish maw, succulent crab meat and I also detected mushrooms in there. Before eating, drizzle a few drops of the black vinegar and add a dash of white pepper.

The Emperor Chicken (皇帝鸡) is also known as herbal chicken. In the olden days, the emperor’s diet was strictly prescribed and monitored by physicians, because it was important for the emperor to be in excellent health in order to focus on governing the Kingdom. This was one of the healthy dishes the emperor ate! The chicken is wrapped in the waxed paper and aluminum foil then steamed for a few hours until the meat is tender and the flavours of the herbs is infused into the chicken.

The last dish to be served is the Poached Prawns (白灼虾). If the ingredients are fresh, you just need minimum condiments and simple cooking style to bring out the best in taste. So here the prawns are boiled in basically water, ginger and scallion for a couple of minutes at most. Chinese cooking wine is then drizzled into the broth to enhance the overall flavours.

For this reunion meal, we spent S$331.76 for the dishes, steamed rice and drinks including 10% service charge. I can foresee the next year we will be back here for our dinner again. After all the food is good and the place is nearby our houses.