I was just standing around not thinking of anything in particular…
In Yangshuo, I happened to stand all by myself on a central place for five minutes. Life goes on all around me. Visitors and vendors are aplenty. There is nothing you cannot buy. Many things look quite fascinating, even if they are stupid. I stand there looking a little abandoned, waiting for the rest of our group. All the time, people offer me all kinds of products.
And suddenly, a lady appears and asks me: “Do you want a baby?. I am a little confused and do not immediately understand what she means. As often in life. My first assumption is that she suggests I should adopt a child. But I already have seven and am too old for this kind of thing. I shake my head, and at the same moment it dawns on me what she must have meant. And she is already very disappointed when she asks me: “No Sex?” and continues on her way.
I remember that, while I was preparing for the trip, I read that prostitution is prohibited in China and the punishment is severe. Consequently, I am a little surprised – and I have to do a lot of thinking.
Back at the hotel, I open my English Wikipedia and look up prostitution in China.
It says that my information was (partly) correct. I China, prostitution is illegal and prohibited. But the number of prostitutes is estimated at more than four million. The government knows it quite well and came up with seven categories for the prostitutes. Prostitution is tolerated by turning a blind eye and in some places rather appreciated as an economical factor. In some regions, it is actually promoted in a strange mixture of administration and corruption. Regardless, there are some instances where there is a punishment on prostitution – sometimes even a severe punishment. I also read that the Chinese men prefer blond Russians and that, after Russia was opened, many Russian ladies came to China in order to do the job.
Well, here it is again, the world-wide hypocrisy. Perhaps it is even stronger here than at home. In a way, it seems to me that prostitution is a good example for the paradigm of many principles I meet with in this country. But I do not mean this in a negative sense! Things are as they are.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
Loading ...