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SCMP Reporter

A Cantonese opera group has taken to broadcasting round-the-clock Buddhist chants to battle an invasion of prostitutes at a building in Jordan.

The fight began a year ago when prostitutes started moving into the National Court building on Nathan Road. On the 13th floor of the block, where the Chow Ping Opera Group is located, nine of the 12 units  have been taken over by the prostitutes.

From morning to late evening every day, loud Buddhist musical verses or incantations echo through the smelly corridor.

A helper at the opera group's office said yesterday they had been playing the chants for about a year.

'We broadcast the chants every day, even on holidays, from 9am to 11pm. It is only turned off while they practice. You can say we are silly, but we only want to keep our place pure and cleaner,' the helper said.

'No one has ever complained to us about the noise. If those women dare to complain, I would be more than happy that they call the police.'

She said the broadcasts had deterred some of the prostitutes' clients and at least created a 'cleaner' atmosphere in the building.

National Court is a commercial-residential block. At one time, most of the building's occupants were trading companies, fortune tellers and budget guest houses.

But some residents said one-woman brothels had been thriving at the block for more than a year. Most of the prostitutes do not advertise their services, but no client could miss where they live because there are tell-tale signs on their doors saying 'darling888', 'please, press my bell' or 'shaped body like a model'. Some of the doors are festooned with disco-like flashing lights.

Occasionally, women come out into the corridor wearing heavy make-up and  lingerie,  beckoning passers-by.

Wong Ching-sheung, who owns a flat on the 12th floor, said: 'We have complained to the owners' committee, but no one seems to care. Many of the owners have moved and rented out their flats. So long as the rent is paid, they do not care.

'But those prostitutes work all day long, and I guess they would have no problem paying the rent,' said Ms Wong, who lives opposite one of the one-woman brothels.

She added: 'The rush hour would be at night. Sometimes, the men have to queue outside the unit. It is very annoying. Sometimes, the client may argue with the prostitute over service prices and they are so noisy that we cannot sleep.'

Another resident said: 'Women are very embarrassed. Sometimes we encounter the clients in the lifts. We have to post notes outside our flats saying we are normal residents.'

A caretaker said: 'We do not know what business our occupants are doing. And we have no power to stop visitors accessing the upper floors of the block. There are many people visiting here every day and it is not practical to check each of them.'



Opera group broadcasts Buddhist chants in war against prostitutes