The Bund (TV series)
| The Bund | |
|---|---|
Poster
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| Genre | Period drama |
| Written by | Koo Siu-fung Leung Kin-cheung Leung Wing-wah Sam Kwok-wing Leung Wing-mui Chan Lai-wah Chan Kiu-ying |
| Directed by | Chiu Chun-keung Fok Yiu-leung Tam Jui-ming Lee Yiu-ming Lau Si-yu |
| Starring |
Chow Yun-fat Ray Lui Angie Chiu Lau Dan Lam Kin-ming Kent Tong King Doi-yum |
| Opening theme | Seung Hoi Tan (上海灘) performed by Frances Yip |
| Composer(s) | Joseph Koo |
| Country of origin | Hong Kong |
| Original language(s) | Cantonese |
| No. of episodes | 25 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Chiu Chun-keung |
| Running time | 45 minutes per episode |
| Release | |
| Original network | TVB |
| Original release | 10 March – 11 April 1980 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | The Bund II |
| The Bund | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 上海灘 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 上海滩 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Shanghai Bund | ||||||||||
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| Transcriptions | |
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| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Shànghǎi Tān |
| Yue: Cantonese | |
| Jyutping | Soeng6 Hoi2 Taan1 |
The Bund is a Hong Kong period drama television series first broadcast on TVB in 1980. It is praised as "The Godfather of the East" and spawned two sequels, two remakes, and a film adaptation. The theme song, which shares the same Chinese title as the series and was performed by Frances Yip, also became a memorable Cantopop hit.
The series is set in the 1920s in Republican China. Hui Man-keung is a Yenching University graduate who served three years in prison for participating in the May Fourth Movement student protests. He decides to make a fresh start in Shanghai, where he meets and befriends Ting Lik, a fruit vendor. He invites Ting to be his partner after seizing the executive position in a small-time gang. He also builds up a good relationship with Fung King-yiu, a wealthy tycoon and gang boss, after saving Fung's daughter, Ching-ching, from being held hostage. Fung wants Hui to work for him but Hui refuses. Ching-ching falls in love with Hui. After Ting kills a rival in a personal dispute over a woman, other gangs attack Hui and Ting and destroy their small-time gang. Hui and Ting then join Fung's company for protection. Later, after Hui discovers that Fung is collaborating with secret agents from the Japan-based Black Dragon Society to destroy the patriotic Ching-mou School, he enters a dilemma on whether to uphold his morals or turn against Fung. Hui eventually decides to help the Ching-mou School and he kills the Japanese spy Yamaguchi Kaoriko in a gunfight. Fung is furious when he learns of Hui's betrayal, and he sends his men across Shanghai to hunt down and kill Hui. Ting secretly helps Hui escape on account of their friendship.
Hui fakes his death to evade Fung's men and settles in Hong Kong, where he marries So Wong-tai, starts a new life with her family, and opens a small restaurant. Meanwhile, in Shanghai, Ching-ching is unable to accept the news of Hui's death so she visits Hong Kong when she hears rumours that Hui is still alive there. She meets Hui there but refuses to believe him when he tells her he is already married. Hui then brings her home to show her his family. Unknown to them, Fung's men had secretly followed them and they kill Hui's family. Hui was not at home at the time so he survives. He swears vengeance on Fung and returns to Shanghai to take his revenge.
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Wikipedia