Zhang Ziyi in Hollywood (again) for "The Grandmasters"

Zhang Ziyi has been touring for the past year in support of "The Grandmasters" for which she won her first Golden Horse award last month. From snowy Berlin in February, Busan in June and New York City in August, she was part of the traveling circus that is necessary for international film promotion for a movie that isn't based on comic book characters.

Most recently she touched down in Hollywood to appear with cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd at a Weinstein Company screening followed by a Q & A with Justin Chang, chief film critic for Variety:

While not exactly the Long March, it has been quite a tour with plenty of other stops not listed here--this is her third appearance in Tinseltown for example to generate some Oscar buzz. One of the ways that film actors earn their money is by treating a question asked the 100th time (How did you train for the martial arts scenes? How do you like working with Wong Kar Wai) as if she is hearing for the first time and is delighted to to have the chance to answer such a trenchant inquiry.

Zimbio

Cherie Chung for Bulgari

Bulgari threw a party highlighting some of their goods that only the wealthiest of the wealthy can afford. They invited Cherie Chung Cho-Hung to be photographed wearing some of their creations, a good idea since she is, after all, Cherie Chung. She stood under a sign:

held out her handbag:

sipped some Champagne:

and wandered into a corner with a few zillion RMB worth of diamonds and other gemstones:

Anytime Cherie Chung gets her picture taken is worth noting, especially so when she is in full movie star diva regalia--the cape made from black feathers might look over the top on some but is perfect for her.

Xinhua

Would you like to marry Fan Bingbing? Everything you need to know in one simple lesson...

"W" magazine features one of our two favorite Bingbings, Fan in this case. Lynn Hirschberg fell under her spell at Cannes a couple of years ago when she appeared in this Elie Saab number:

We find out a couple of things in the chatty article: don't ever invite Zhang Ziyi and FBB to the same party--both will find out beforehand and neither will show; Harvey Weinstein used his own jet to deliver a dress to FBB for the 2012 Oscars; she says she is lazy about learning English, but with a few hundred million fans in China, Hollywood isn't that important. Most importantly, though, she revealed the way to win her heart: "I am known for my hair. But it is my dream to cut it and dye it blue. I’d like to have crazy hair!" She sighed. An envoy from Chopard was knocking at the door with diamonds for her, and the tailor from Valentino was ready with the lace gown that she had agreed to wear that night. "If I ever find a boyfriend who lets me cut my hair and dye it blue, I will marry him," she said as she went to answer the door.

W 48 Hours with China's Movie Queen

This just in...Rosamund Kwan is still a knockout

After making over 70 movies in Hong Kong--most of them during the late 1980s to mid 1990s cinema production explosion in the years leading up to the Handover--Rosamund Kwan retired to either a) get rich running her real estate company; b) marry a Taiwanese billionaire or c) something else entirely. One can find plenty of articles in English and probably many more in Chinese attesting to those not completely factual facts. Whatever has been keeping her busy, she looks, at 51, ready to step in front of the cameras as Aunt 13, Ms. Pak or Snow White and gave the diva-starved masses a glimpse of how to look like a movie star a decade or so after your last movie.

This was at an "Esqure" magazine event that, according to some but not all of the coverage, was to help publicized the need for adoptions in China.

Backstage saying hello to some fans:

Xinhua English

50th Golden Horse Awards from Taipei

Taipei knows how to throw a party and welcomed the world's entertainment press to record beautiful people looking beautiful while celebrating another year of the domestic film industry in Taiwan surviving the Hollywood juggernaut, perhaps not unlike the ROC facing the unstoppable force across the Taiwan Strait. Winners in the big categories came from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan itself.

A lot of our (or at least my) favorites were there as nominees, presenters, jury members or red carpet walkers including Maggie Cheung, accompanied by Andy Lau, handing out the Best Actress award. There was a bit of by-play as Maggie Chueng had some flirtatious fun with someone offstage while Andy Lau kept his title of the most elegant man in the world:

Brigitte Lin, in a dress as red as the East, set off perfectly with opera length gloves and Lau Ching Wan broke each other up while presenting the Best Actor award:

After looking very serious while posing for the figures on top of a wedding cake a bit earlier:

Zhang Ziyi, who was in no danger of becoming the Chinese Susan Lucci, picked up the Best Actress statuette on her fourth nomination for her portrayal of Gong Er in "The Grandmaster" and thanked director Wong Kar-wai "for allowing me to encounter Gong Er at the most difficult time of my life and for encouraging me to be brave and believe in myself."
She gave the award the expect from actresses kiss:

Then did a quick change for more statuette cuddling:

Before knocking back a glass of Champagne from a sponsor:

Yeo Yann Yann who is Malaysian according to the press in Kuala Lumpur and who hails from Singapore when mentioned in "The Straits Times", won Best Supporting Actress for her work in Ilo Ilo. The award smooch:

Simple and very sexy:

MTS (Model turned starlet) Guo Shu-Yao who hasn't won anything, showed up to be photographed and succeeded by leading with her strength:

Xinhua; Sina slide; Straits Times

Fan Bingbing channels Elizabeth Taylor; Li Bingbing doesn't get married

Our favorite Bingbings haven't been making movies recently but have kept busy in front of still cameras for fashion pubs.

Fan Bingbing covers a few decades with a retro 1960s/1980s vibe (leaving out the psychedelic 70s) for "L'OFFICIEL" reminding one of a more willowy Elizabeth Taylor.

Elizabeth Taylor

Li Bingbing got languorous and dewey-eyed to help the bridal issue of Cosmo jump off the newsstand shelves:

China Entertainment News; Sina

Christy Chung helps LVMH move some Champagne

Moet Chandon threw a party to hype the brand at Cirque Le Soir, the hot new club at Bund 22 in Shanghai and thought that having Christy Chung stand with her hands on her hips wearing a partially transparent mermaid dress that she probably had to be sewed into would be a good way to attract attention. They were right.

Cirque Le Soir sounds like a nightclub designed by someone who really liked Baz Lurhman's "Moulin Rouge".

Sina; Talk Magazine; China Daily Secret

Mogul to build huge new studio in China; Zhang Ziyi, Zhao Wei, Ady An, Jing Tian help celebrate.

Wang Jianlin, billed as China's richest man by the Hurun Report in Forbes, announced a mega-studio in Qingdao; or as Variety put it he unveiled plans for global domination. Whatever the size of Wang Jianlin's fortune, he isn't short of the ready, having just picked up the AMC cinema chain for $2.6 billion. Lots of Hollywood stars and execs turned out along with enough Chinese onscreen talent for a few blockbusters. There will be year round activity at the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis which will have seven (!) hotels, an indoor theme park (of course), an IMAX research facility and for those who just want to spend money, a yacht trading center.

Among the actresses were Zhang Ziyi who seemed to be dealing with an incipient wardrobe malfunction:

A rueful smile tells us that everything is OK:

A bit earlier in the day:

Vicki Zhao Wei wasn't having any difficult with a beautifully draped cape over a dress whose pattern looks a lot like the one worn Zhang Ziyi:

Showing versatility--a half wave using either her right or left hand:

Ady Ang Yi-Xuan and Jing Tian were among the young veterans of the screen, both looking as demure as one can while wearing evening dress in the middle of the afternoon:
Ady Ang Yi-Xuan

Jing Tian

L.A. Times; Variety; Sina

This just in...Vivian Chow still gorgeous

She was appearing in support of an album about to released and still knows to draw a crowd:

Sina slide