Culture Vulture

Return of the 'lao beng' and 'lao lian'

The Hokkien-speaking gangster with a heart of gold is a modern metaphor for resistance

Screen grab of Taiwanese band Eggplantegg’s music video for their 2019 song Waves Wandering, which stars actor Jack Kao. PHOTO: EGGPLANTEGG/ YOUTUBE
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The lao beng - hair combed neatly into two soft-hold waves, in uncle-ish short-sleeved collared shirt - bumbles his way into the open-air karaoke joint.

"Paiseh," he says, in Taiwanese Hokkien. Excuse me. "I'm in a hurry. Let me sing first."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 21, 2020, with the headline Return of the 'lao beng' and 'lao lian'. Subscribe