Red Phoenix

different time each Western calendar. Chinese New Year usually falls in either January or February.
    Ching: A type of life energy, ching is the energy of sex and reproduction, the Essence of Life. Every person is born with a limited amount of ching and as this energy is drained they grow old and die.
    Chiu Chow: A southeastern province of China.
    Choy sum (Cantonese): A leafy green Chinese vegetable vaguely resembling English spinach.
    City Hall: Hall on the waterfront in Central on Hong Kong Island containing theatres and a large restaurant.
    Confucianism: A set of rules for social behaviour designed to ensure that all of society runs smoothly.
    Congee: A gruel made by boiling rice with savoury ingredients such as pork or thousand-year egg. Usually eaten for breakfast but can be eaten as a meal or snack any time of the day.
    Connaught Road: Main thoroughfare through the middle of Central District in Hong Kong, running parallel to the waterfront and with five lanes each side.
    Cross-Harbour Tunnel: Tunnel that carries both cars and MTR trains from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon under the Harbour.
    Cultural Revolution: A turbulent period of recent Chinese history (1966-75) during which gangs of young people called Red Guards overthrew ‘old ways of thinking’ and destroyed many ancient cultural icons.
    Dai pai dong (Cantonese): Small open-air restaurant.
    Dan tian: Energy centre, a source of energy within the body. The central dan tian is roughly located in the solar plexus.
    Daujie (Cantonese): ‘Thank you’, used exclusively when a gift is given.
    Dim sum (Cantonese): Small dumplings in bamboo steamers served at yum cha. Usually each dumpling is less than three centimetres across and four are found in each steamer. There are a number of different types, and standard types of dim sum are served at every yum cha.
    Discovery Bay: Residential enclave on Lantau Island, quite some distance from the rush of Hong Kong Island and only reachable by ferry.
    Dojo (Japanese): Martial arts training school.
    Eight Immortals: A group of iconic Immortals from Taoist mythology, each one representing a human condition. Stories of their exploits are part of popular Chinese culture.
    Er Lang: The Second Heavenly General, second-in-charge of the running of Heavenly affairs. Usually depicted as a young man with three eyes and accompanied by his faithful dog.
    Fortune sticks: A set of bamboo sticks in a bamboo holder. The questioner kneels in front of the altar and shakes the holder until one stick rises above the rest and falls out. This stick has a number that is translated into the fortune by temple staff.
    Fung shui (or feng shui): The Chinese system of geomancy that links the environment to the fate of those living in it. A house with good internal and external fung shui assures its residents of good luck in their life.
    Gay-lo (Cantonese slang): gay, homosexual.
    Guangdong: The province of China directly across the border from Hong Kong.
    Guangzhou: The capital city of Guangdong Province, about an hour away by road from Hong Kong. A large bustling commercial city rivalling Hong Kong in size and activity.
    Gundam (Japanese): Large humanoid robot armour popular in Japanese cartoons.
    Gung hei fat choy (Cantonese): Happy New Year.
    Gwun Gong (or Guan Gong): A southern Chinese Taoist deity; a local General who attained Immortality and is venerated for his strengths of loyalty and justice and his ability to destroy demons.
    H’suantian Shangdi (Cantonese): Xuan Tian Shang Di in the Wade-Giles method of writing Cantonese words.
    Har gow : Dim sum served at yum cha; a steamed dumpling with a thin skin of rice flour dough containing prawns.
    Hei sun (Cantonese): Arise.
    Ho ak (Cantonese): Okay.
    Ho fan (Cantonese): Flat white noodles made from rice; can be either boiled in soup or stir-fried.
    Hong Kong Jockey Club: a private Hong Kong institution that runs and handles all of the horseracing and legal gambling in Hong Kong. There can be billions of Hong Kong dollars in bets on a single race meeting.
    Hutong (Putonghua): Traditional square Chinese house, built around a central courtyard.
    ICAC: Independent Commission Against Corruption; an independent government agency focused on tracking down corruption in Hong Kong.
    Jade Emperor: The supreme ruler of the Taoist Celestial Government.
    Journey to the West: A classic of Chinese literature written during the Ming Dynasty by Wu Cheng’En. The story of the Monkey King’s journey to India