Beijing's old red light district

Just south of Qianmen, Bada Hutong has seen some wild times

Bada Hutong - literally the eight big hutongs - was formerly Beijing's largest red light district. First emerging in the 18th century, outside the city gates, by 1908 it housed 308 brothels - more than any other area of the city.

The ladies of the night served imperial courtesans, wealthy traders and official mandarins with pleasures of ‘rain and cloud' and the services ranged from ‘serving the masses' to providing ‘flower girls' - skilled in the arts, who would also recite poetry and play music.

Some prostitutes became famous for their skills and beauty including Xiao Fengxian, who had a famous affair with General Cai E during the Warlord Period after the fall of the Empire.

The up market brothel where she lived in Shanxi Xiang Hutong has now been restored and houses a guesthouse - Shanxi Xiang Di'er Bingguan - that retains much of the bordellos's former style.

However, a month after the founding of the People's Republic, on the evening of November 21^st 1949, over 3,000 troops marched into the area, freeing 1,290 prostitutes.

Today, much of the area has been demolished and rebuilt and, whilst there are some street side ‘hair salons', all that is left to indicate what used to go on are a few sculptures found on the older doors and gates of the hutongs.