Glossary of Terms

CantoPop

Cantonese pop music. CantoPop concerts are elaborate affairs with dancers and outlandish costumes and special effects. It is not unusual for film actors in Hong Kong to sing and for singers to become film actors. Andy Lau was an actor before beginning a very successful singing career. Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing and Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau were singers who migrated to film.

Triads

Chinese gangsters. Originally the triads were secret groups organized to bring down an emperor or warlord during Imperial times. Now triads are akin to the Mafia. Triads are reputed to be involved in the film and entertainment business. Several years ago celebrities such as Jackie Chan and Andy Lau staged a protest walk in the streets of Hong Kong to galvanize the community against triad involvement in the entertainment field.

The Young and Dangerous series of films are examples of the triad genre of films. They follow the exploits of Ho Nam (played by Ekin Cheng) and Chicken (played by Jordan Chan).

Wuxia

Term generally used for a genre of films and novels which depict heroes of the feudal period in China. In films, these characters possess exceptional fighting skills that often manifest themselves in flying through the air while fighting.

Examples of recent films include "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "The Duel" and "Hero".