Headlines from China: Wong Kar-wai Receives Honorary Degree from Harvard University

Front row from left: Provost Alan Garber, President Drew Faust, and John R. Lewis. Back row from left: George E. Lewis, Twyla Tharp, Harvey V. Fineberg, Rita Dove, President Ricardo Lagos, Sallie W. Chisholm, and Wong Kar Wai
Photograph by Harvard Magazine/JC

Wong Kar-wai Receives Honorary Degree from Harvard University

On May 24, Harvard University awarded seven honorary degrees on its commencement day. Among the seven recipients, famed Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai received Doctor’s degree in Arts. This makes Wong the first Asian filmmaker who receives such an honor from Harvard. In the official description published on the university’s website, Wong Kar-wai is described as someone who “stands among modern cinema’s most influential auteurs.” Wong Kar-wai attended the award ceremony with his wife. In his acceptance speech, he thanked his family, friends, colleagues and the two cities where he was born (Shanghai) and grew up (Hong Kong). Read more on Mtime

These Chinese Celebrities Are Brands’ Darlings This Year

As China’s entertainment sector rapidly grows, stars’ popularities as well as brands’ preferences also shift constantly. This article takes a look at the new deals brands signed with celebrities so far in 2018. Number one on the list is TFBoysKarry Wang who has signed eight new deals with brands this year as a brand ambassador. The brands he represents range from bank, cosmetics to IT products and food. Number two on the list are Zhou Dongyu and Wang Yuan, each has signed seven deals with brands this year. One of the deals Wang Yuan signed was with L’Oréal, which brought him to the red carpet of this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Famed Chinese actress Fan Bingbing is Number four on the list, and she has signed six new deals with brands. Read more on yulechanye

Why Did Alibaba Pictures Stock Surge Recently?

On May 24, shares of a group of companies controlled by Alibaba Group surged on Thursday in Hong Kong. Among them, Alibaba Pictures‘ trading volume reached record high in more than three years. This article points out two possible reasons behind the surge. First, Alibaba Pictures recently released its Q1 2018 financial report. Although the report shows that Alibaba’s ticketing platform Tao Piaopiao lost money in Q1, the company’s newly acquired game Travel Frog is highly profitable. The report also indicates that Travel Frog has huge potential to bring more revenues in the future. Another reason that might explain the surge is the recent news of Alibaba returning to domestic stock market through CDRs. Read more on Entertainment Capital