In pursuit of solutions to China’s inter-regional cross-border insolvency cooperation, the doctoral dissertation provides 10 original recommendations accompanied with comments, which are entitled ... Show moreIn pursuit of solutions to China’s inter-regional cross-border insolvency cooperation, the doctoral dissertation provides 10 original recommendations accompanied with comments, which are entitled “CICIA”. Show less
Popular music in Chinese languages both reflects and influences how its audiences perceive themselves and their position in the world around them. This book analyses the role of popular music in... Show morePopular music in Chinese languages both reflects and influences how its audiences perceive themselves and their position in the world around them. This book analyses the role of popular music in identity formation through detailed comparisons of the pop star Faye Wong, the rock band Second Hand Rose and the electrofolk artist Xiao He, in five thematic chapters. Chapter 1, Place, follows the history of popular music through Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei and Beijing, concluding that language is defining. Chapter 2, Genre and Classification, argues that genre distinctions, and by extension class identities, are secondary to affiliations along region, gender, generation and marketability. The psycho-analytical approach of chapter 3, Sex, Gender, and Desire, explores how popular music reiterate and challenge stereotypes surrounding the passive beauty, coolness and brotherhood. Chapter 4, Theatricality, argues that theatrical performances negotiate the boundary between stage world and ordinary reality through make-believe and reflectiveness. Finally, chapter 5, Organizing Music, submits that music happens through reproduction, variation and selection, and in constant interaction with ecologies and collectives. In the end, this book itself strives to make these sounds, images and texts available for the incessant, piecemeal work of worldmaking. Show less
Global attention was given to the macro-political changes of Hong Kong in 1997, namely the transition of sovereignty from British colonial rule to the rule of the socialist regime of the People's... Show moreGlobal attention was given to the macro-political changes of Hong Kong in 1997, namely the transition of sovereignty from British colonial rule to the rule of the socialist regime of the People's Republic of China (PRC). But the micro-history of ethnic minorities has been often neglected, if not suppressed. The history of the Muslim ethnic minorities in Hong Kong under British colonial rule and the Chinese-dominated government can be revealed vividly through the design and the spatial distribution of mosques throughout Hong Kong's history. The history of ethnic Muslims is intertwined with that of the mosques in which they gathered. Mosques were - and still are - perceived as sites of cultural and political contestation. Show less
Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world and is often perceived as the favourite of the discriminated against and economically underdeveloped. It has drawn a huge influx of... Show moreIslam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world and is often perceived as the favourite of the discriminated against and economically underdeveloped. It has drawn a huge influx of converts in recent decades, despite endless assertions about the declining influence of religion in the lives of people in the wake of modernization and globalization. Islam's manifestation and continuity in Hong Kong is surprising because religious affinity is less recognized or rewarded. The popular religions here are Buddhism, Taoism and Christianity, adherents to Islam constituting only 1% of the population. However, a notable number of conversions to Islam amongst Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong are occurring. Show less
