In 1949, just after the civil war, Mao embarked upon a series of campaigns that eradicated prostitution from mainland China.
Mao claimed:”we need to clean the house!”
Within a few years, the new regime purged prostitutes across the country. Some married, some returned to their hometowns, and others became factory workers.
In 1949, following the end of the Chinese Civil War, the newly established People’s Republic of China, led by Mao Zedong, sought to transform society according to socialist principles. One of the earliest and most significant social reforms initiated by Mao was the eradication of prostitution from mainland China. This effort was part of a broader campaign to rebuild the nation and promote moral and social purity, encapsulated in Mao’s directive to “clean the house.”
Mao Zedong and the Communist Party viewed prostitution as a symptom of the old, exploitative society they aimed to replace. It was seen not only as a form of moral degradation but also as a legacy of China’s semi-colonial and semi-feudal past, where foreign dominance and internal corruption had allowed such practices to flourish. In the immediate aftermath of the civil war, the new government embarked on campaigns focused on eradicating the social conditions that led to prostitution and reintegrating those involved in the trade into the new socialist society.
Within a few years, the regime’s efforts led to a significant reduction in prostitution across the country. The approach to dealing with former prostitutes was multifaceted. Rather than punishing them, the government aimed to provide opportunities for rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Many women who had been involved in prostitution were encouraged to marry, return to their hometowns, or take up employment in the burgeoning industrial sector, particularly in factories. This approach not only sought to remove prostitution from the social landscape but also to integrate these women into the socialist reconstruction of China.
The campaign against prostitution in early Communist China illustrates how the new government sought to reshape Chinese society along ideological lines, addressing not only economic and political issues but also reforming social behaviors and norms to align with socialist values.
Related: Pictures of raids on Chinese prostitution , Images of police raids on Chinese brothels
Late Qing Dynasty
1901, two wealthy businessmen and singer
Prostitution industry began to flourish in Beijing. In the image: late Qing Dynasty Beijing Bada hutong prostitutes.
In southern regions, prostitution industry was more developed.
Late Qing Dynasty Beijing clients and prostitutes.
Sai Jinhua
At age 13, after her father’s death and the financial difficulties that followed, Sai Jinhua became a prostitute, beginning her work on a flower boat.
In 1887, Hong Jun, a prominent Chinese official, encountered Sai Jinhua in Suzhou, and she became his concubine. The couple moved to Beijing, where Hong Jun was appointed by Empress Cixi as the Chinese envoy to Europe. During his diplomatic missions, he traveled to Russia, Austria, the Netherlands, and Germany, with Sai Jinhua accompanying him.
Sai Jinhua spent three years in Europe. According to Wenxian Zhang, author of Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work, Volume 2, she reportedly became acquainted with Alfred von Waldersee while in Berlin. After Hong Jun’s death in 1894, Sai Jinhua resumed prostitution due to the lack of financial support from his relatives.
In 1900, following the Boxer Rebellion, Waldersee became the chief commander of the occupation army. Sai Jinhua reconnected with him, and according to Wenxian Zhang, she was credited with influencing Waldersee to moderate the harsh treatment of Beijing residents.
In 1903, Sai Jinhua established a southern prostitute troupe, known as a Nanban, along Shaanxi Lane. She leveraged rumors of her relationship with Waldersee to gain popularity.
However, in 1905, a courtesan named Fengling, who worked under her, committed suicide. Sai Jinhua was accused of torturing Fengling, leading to her imprisonment. Afterward, she was expelled from Beijing and banished to her hometown.
Sai Jinhua’s life has been the subject of several films, plays, and television series, where she is often depicted as a national heroine who plays a pivotal role in saving China during a time of crisis.
Xiao Fengxian
Xiao Fengxian, a renowned courtesan of the early Republic of China, is best known for her connection to General Cai E, a prominent military leader who played a significant role in opposing Yuan Shikai’s attempt to restore the monarchy.
Xiao Fengxian, whose birth name was Zhu Xiaofeng, was born into a poor family and was sold into a brothel in Beijing at a young age. There, she met many influential figures, but her life took a dramatic turn when she encountered Cai E, a general who had gained fame for his military prowess and commitment to republican ideals.
In 1915, Cai E, who was stationed in Yunnan, led the province in declaring its independence from Yuan Shikai, who had declared himself emperor in an attempt to restore monarchy in China. This movement, known as the National Protection War (护国战争), marked a significant moment in the struggle for republicanism in China.
Cai E met Xiao Fengxian in a Beijing brothel, where she was known for her beauty and intelligence. Moved by her tragic story, Cai paid for her release, taking her as his concubine. Xiao’s life changed dramatically as she became closely involved with Cai during a tumultuous period in Chinese history.
During a critical moment when Cai E was trapped in Beijing and in danger due to his opposition to Yuan Shikai, Xiao Fengxian played a crucial role in protecting him. According to historical accounts, she helped Cai escape from danger by providing him with shelter and possibly misleading those who sought to capture him. Her actions not only saved his life but also allowed him to continue his efforts against Yuan Shikai’s rule.
Xiao Fengxian’s loyalty and bravery in assisting Cai E earned her a place in Chinese history as a symbol of dedication and sacrifice. After Cai E’s death in 1916, Xiao Fengxian lived a relatively quiet life, although she remained a celebrated figure in popular culture, with her story being recounted in various forms, including literature, theater, and film.
Wang Yuexian
Wang Yuexian, the most famous prostitute in Shanghai.
The picture shows a late Qing Shanghai prostitute to accompany clients to play mahjong.
A prostitute sent to a Shanghai restaurant. When the prostitute was a young girl of 8 or 9 she would be sent out being carried on someone’s shoulders.
A prostitute smokes opium with her two clients at a Shanghai smoking bar.
Chang San Brothel
A Chang San Brothel in Shanghai. A Chang San was a type of prostitute during the Republic of China. She would play the lyre, take on calligraphy and painting.
1895, street performers. By the late Qing Dynasty, many women were sold to brothels due to poverty.
Singing and performing were two of the main tasks for prostitutes during the Qing Dynasty.
Application for a prostitute to local police station.
Prostitutes performing at a teahouse in Beijing.
1911-1949
The Temptress Moon Illustrated: pornographic newspapers appeared in some big cities such as Guangzhou (1905, Fun Days News), Tianjin (1933, Temptress Moon Illustrated), and Beijing.
Liaoning Province. In the 1930s, after the Japanese invasion, sex industry was rampant.
Shenyang, 1946. Chinese prostitutes dressed in kimono await their Japanese clients.
A Shenyang brothel, 1946. Some brothels were managed by the Japanese consulate and only provided service to upper-middle-class. Others only provided their services to Korean and Russian clients.
June 1946. The war is finished. A staff member of the UN gives an injection to a Shanghai prostitute. From 1946, Shanghai required prostitutes with sexually transmitted diseases to seek medical treatment.
- 66% of Shanghai prostitutes had caught a sexually transmitted disease.
1948
Hostesses dance with American sailors.
Prostitution during the Communist Era
Shortly after taking power in 1949, the Communist Party of China embarked upon a series of campaigns that purportedly eradicated prostitution from mainland China by the early 1960s.
By the end of 1949, 224 brothels were sealed up in Beijing, over 450 prostitutes were sent to prison and 1,268 more left the brothels and were moved to correctional facilities.
Jinan correction facility. In 1951 Shandong banned all the brothels from the province.
- Shanghai correction facility.
Suzhou correctional facility in 1951.
Beijing correctional facility in November 1949.
Two brothel owners confess to dabbling in prostitution in Beijing in 1951. During the Beijing reform campaign, two brothels owners were sentenced to death and another 357 received different degrees of punishment.
In some correctional facility prostitutes learned a work and later were sent to factories or hospitals.
Prostitutes participating in epidemic prevention teams inoculate children.
Prostitutes in Shanghai are sent to a vocational school in 1951.
By the early 1960s, government had basically wiped out visible forms of prostitution from mainland China.
According to the PRC government, venereal diseases were almost completely eliminated from the mainland contemporaneously with the control of prostitution.
To mark this victory, all 29 venereal disease research institutes were closed in 1964.
The resurgence of prostitution in mainland China has coincided with the introduction of Deng Xiaoping’s liberalization of Chinese economic policy in 1978.
Sexually transmitted diseases also made a resurgence around the same time as prostitution, and have been directly linked to prostitution.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sai_Jinhua , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_China , http://gbtimes.com/life/shaping-chinese-history-general-cai-e , http://www.china.org.cn/photos/2013-09/13/content_30009017.htm
Topic: History of prostitution in China
Post Author
I used to read a lot of historical fiction about China in the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the strangest things I have read was about a local practice or fashion of Chinese prostitutes who wore painted on mustaches to attract a certain clientele. Can anybody verify this for me and provide a reference? I have no idea where I read this.
Many of them were little girls, with disfigured feet. Men were so cruel