Then & Now | Hong Kong’s Western brothel madams – separating truth from urban legend
- From the mid-19th century onwards all licensed brothels in the British colony were run by women
- American madam Rosalie Lewis, part of a prisoner exchange from Stanley internment camp in 1942, sent reassuring letters to the families of her fellow POWs
Long-term prostitution is a “career choice” usually based on financial desperation and want of an economically viable alternative.
Historically, Hong Kong’s Western prostitutes often started out – according to their own legends – as competition dancers, musicians or theatrical performers who became stranded here on their way to somewhere else.
Finding the freewheeling colony to their taste, and with nowhere else to go, they stayed and made a good living out of what had presumably been a pleasurable pastime. For some, entrance into the managerial ranks of “the world’s oldest profession” followed.
From the mid-19th century, the registered proprietors of all Hong Kong’s licensed brothels were women – brothel madams. This curious fact provides a glimpse of female entrepreneurship and, perhaps, empowerment.
Urban mythology inevitably envelops those on society’s margins, such as sex workers. Over time, memories fade and tales become embroidered.