Prostitution and Sexuality in Shanghai: A Social History, 1849-1949

Description

Shanghai's nightlife, from the mid-nineteenth century until the victory of the Communist Party in 1949, was dominated by the world of prostitution. Henriot portrays the Chinese sex trade, from the sophisticated life of the courtesan to the common life of street prostitution. He examines the extent to which these worlds were integral to Chinese social life, commercial trends, and Chinese mores and sexuality. Henriot draws a picture of a sector that was sensitive to economic and social change, and thus a good reflection of Shanghai's changing social structure, societal attitudes, and commercial development. This is the most comprehensive treatment available of a social phenomenon that has been much discussed in studies of Chinese culture, but largely neglected as a subject of serious historical concern. At the crossroads of social and intellectual history, this study gets beyond the curtain of exoticism for a realistic look at a vibrant sector of Shanghai's economic and cultural life.

' ... is a rich addition to the field'. Times Higher Education Supplement '... a brave attempt to illustrate the evolution of a complex phenomenon through the personal experience of prostitutes and clients alike.' Lars Peter Laamann, IHR Reviews in History 'Prostitution and Sexuality in Shanghai substantially adds to our understanding of the history of pre-1949 Chinese urban history, but also offers rich material for continuing comparative analysis of the history of the sex trade.' History 'Each chapter is carefully crafted and may stand by itself but, at the same time, also merges into a flowing narrative that gradually pieces together a colourful and complex mosaic where the many facets of prostitution are scrutinized ... this is an outstanding research effort based on an impressive array of sources which constitutes a solidly constructed reference work for scholars as well as general readers.' School of Oriental & African Studies