> “everyone knows what 4 / 6 /89 signifies”
This annoyed me quite a bit. No I don’t. Most people probably don’t.
It’s the date of Tiananmen Square.
Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon
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Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon
#12Earlier quoted context omitted.
The second part seems pretty direct.
The discussion being entirely banned on Weibo also implies that it's deliberate. Try searching "李嘉诚发声" and you'll get a message saying "According to relevant laws, regulations and policies, this page is not found"
Don't they just block anything that even barely mentions HK independence?
Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon
#13> The poem is by the dauphin (crown prince), Li Xian (655-684) under Wu Zetian (624-705), the only female emperor in Chinese history.
I've only ever heard the word "dauphin" in the context of a French crown prince (starting with Charles V, when Philip VI gave him the Dauphiné region to rule while he was still the heir). Is the term used more universally?
Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon
#14> “everyone knows what 4 / 6 /89 signifies” This annoyed me quite a bit. No I don’t. Most people probably don’t. It’s the date of Tiananmen Square.
Would Tiananmen Square not be your first guess for any date remotely close to 1989 though, given the context?
Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon
#15In 2011 he already made comments in support of universal suffrage in Hongkong.
Despite what is said in the media I don't think that this is 'brave' to state this opinion. The key is how to say it and how to behave with respect to China and the government.
Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon
#16If you speak Chinese, you'll find it's very easy to squeeze sentences in exact same characters. Almost all poems in China (except very modern ones) do this. It's so easy that people in forums do this a along - being sarcastic or just funny. You could have positive meaning literally, but hide dirty words in structures. Also because it's so easy that this was defined as serious crime in many dynasties. There were even…
> committed it by coincidence were sentenced to death
So they sentenced themselves to death with an unfortunate sentence structure.
Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon
#17> “everyone knows what 4 / 6 /89 signifies” This annoyed me quite a bit. No I don’t. Most people probably don’t. It’s the date of Tiananmen Square.
That's like getting annoyed when people refer to 9/11.
Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon
#18> The poem is by the dauphin (crown prince), Li Xian (655-684) under Wu Zetian (624-705), the only female emperor in Chinese history. I've only ever heard the word "dauphin" in the context of a French crown prince (starting with Charles V, when Philip VI gave him the Dauphiné region to rule while he was still the heir). Is the term used more universally?
I’ve heard it in at least one other context: to mean “inheritor” or anointed successor. Here is a quote from Gore Vidal:
‘I have been asked whether I wish to nominate a successor, an inheritor, a dauphin or delfino. I have decided to name Christopher Hitchens.'
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/9443914/How-Christ...
I’ve seen other examples in this style. Maybe folks in comments can point out more.
Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon
#19The impasse Hong Kong finds itself must be solved by the Chief Executive. Her leadership in this matter is severely lacking and one wonders if the has any autonomous power at all, or if its all controlled by Beijing. Especially seeing how she evaded that question quite gracelessly a few days ago when asked by a reporter.
I don’t think anybody seriously thinks Hong Kong has any meaningful level of autonomy. The impasse is that Hong Kongers want freedom and democracy, and China wants Hong Kong to be China. I can’t see what the Chief Executive could possibly do. Either the protestors will give up, or stage a revolution, which seems unlikely for a population armed with umbrellas.
Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon
#20To the Chinese native speakers here on HN: how clear would the message have been to you, if you didn’t read the explanation on this website?