August 30, 2006

Historic brothel may be demolished, or perhaps restored. That's the dilemma facing heritage officials in Jinggang, Hunan.

That's the only picture I could find. It should definitely be restored to its former glory.

posted by Abiezer_Coppe 18 years ago
  • Lots of renovating potential! Perfect for first time brothel owner!
  • The last post in this thread has a brief historical outline of the oldest profession in the oldest nation (albeit in slightly dodgy English).
  • Much like the efforts to preserve places of atrocities in the past, this place should be preserved if for no other reason than to remind ourselves of the atrocity of sex. There should be tours through this most unholy of places, and re-enactments, and samples for tourists. We must fully understand the nature of our ancestors 'devil urges.
  • But isn't this part of a larger trend in China, though, knocking down the old to give way to the new? The old neighbourhoods being bulldozed in Beijing for the Olympics or Shanghai for stupendous economic expansion, the Three Gorges Dam... It seems to me (and please correct me on this if I'm wrong) that history weighs heavier in China than in most other places, that it exists at a level which is suffocating. There may be the idea then that there's so much history to go around, that saving places like this doesn't matter much, particularly in the face of no-holds-barred capitalism. Those of us outside of Europe have a different perspective, as we don't have many places like this to preserve. (Not that our record is anything to be proud of.) It's interesting that as North America and Europe have lost traditional manufacturing jobs to China, and are having to reinvent themselves as service, event and tourism based economies, that the new manufacturing economy doesn't see the tourism and service opportunities presented by preservation. Huh.
  • I'll duck most of your questions Capt. except to say that large old buildings like this are getting fairly rare (remember the Cultural Revolution did for a fair bit of heritage too, long before market reforms). There is an increasing awareness of the need to preserve what's left, which I see as a good thing. You don't know what you've lost till it's gone and all that.
  • Wait ..... are we talking about old buildings being torn down or your love life Abiezer?
  • Zing!
  • So I'm guessing these "brothel" places were community institutions where housewives could go to make soups and broths together, for more efficient use of cooking fires and utensils? Kind of like a medieval bakery?
  • None of that lasts long enough to achieve the necessary status for preservation gomi
  • to make soups and broths The main ingredient was pork. hhAAAaa! Wakka wakka!
  • *slaps Pete with a goat's bladder full of air HAR har har! Good one, Pete! Pork or beef, doesn't matter, as long as the meat's fresh and and it's served piping hot. MonkeyFilter: this place should be preserved if for no other reason than to remind ourselves of the atrocity of sex Thank you. THANK YOU! Nunia
  • Ye don't have to go to China to find atrocious sex. ... I'm told.
  • Thank you. THANK YOU! Nunia *bows* Again, you honor me with your taglines.