Cathay known China under names similar to "Cathay", that country was known to the peoples of South-East Asia and India under names similar to "China" (cf. e.g. "Cina" in modern Malay). Meanwhile, in China itself, people usually referred to their nation state based on the name of the ruling dynasty, e.g. "Da Ming Guo" ("the kingdom of the Great Ming"), or as the "Middle Kingdom" ("Zhongguo" 中國); see also Names of China for details. When the Portuguese reached South-East Asia (Afonso de Albuquerque conquering Malacca in 1511) and the southern coast of China (Jorge Álvares reaching the Pearl River estuary in
Cathay de Grande name at the Cathay after going by the name Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem for their two previous performances at another Hollywood club. They would play the Cathay a few times during their first tour in 1983 and once in 1984. Other bands who frequently played the Cathay included The Minutemen, Bad Religion, Tex and the Horseheads, Dr. Know, The WILD, Entropy, along with regulars from Orange County Social Distortion, T.S.O.L., The Vandals, Agent Orange and Love Canal. The Knitters played their first gig at the Cathay. The Cathay was dubbed by one newspaper in 1984