1850s - Prostitution thrives, helped by the fact that men outnumber women three to one in the city’s population of just 33,000
1857 - A new law requires brothels to register with the government in light of a high rate of sexually transmitted diseases. Licences are also given to prostitutes.
1870 - Some 190 licensed brothels are in operation, catering to a population of 119,400.
1894 - The system regulating the sex trade is abolished due to pressure from activists in Britain.
1897 - Half the soldiers in Hong Kong receive treatment for venereal disease, up from 10 per cent 10 years earlier.
Early 1900s - The colonial government begins restoring regulations without informing London, in an effort to combat the spread of disease.
1920s - A highly complex regulatory system, almost identical to that abolished 30 years earlier, is in effect.
1931 - A directive issued by London requires the government to close down all brothels.
1935 - The last brothel is shut down. The industry is driven underground, and becomes more dangerous and less profitable.
1938 - With the spread of venereal disease causing alarm and a restoration of controlled brothels politically impossible, the government launches a crackdown on the trade. Treatment facilities for the infected are also expanded. Policies remain in effect today.
1951 - The UN Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others is introduced. Britain is not a signatory.
1960 - Wan Chai’s sex industry gets the Hollywood treatment as The World of Suzie Wong is released
1970s - Unofficial estimates put the number of prostitutes at 18,000 as Hong Kong’s population swells to about four million.
1980s - The decline of the manufacturing industry drives more women into the sex trade. An estimated 40,000 work in the industry. The city’s population hits 5.5 million in 1985.
1990s - The Asian financial crisis increases unemployment and more women enter the trade. Sex workers’ rights groups are formed, beginning outreach and lobbying activities.
2000s - Outreach workers report that prostitutes are coming to the city from more countries as international travel becomes easier, while the handover brings more migrants from the mainland. An estimated 200,000 prostitutes cater for a population of seven million.
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The sex trade
1850s - Prostitution thrives, helped by the fact that men outnumber women three to one in the city’s population of just 33,000
1857 - A new law requires brothels to register with the government in light of a high rate of sexually transmitted diseases. Licences are also given to prostitutes.
1870 - Some 190 licensed brothels are in operation, catering to a population of 119,400.
1894 - The system regulating the sex trade is abolished due to pressure from activists in Britain.
1897 - Half the soldiers in Hong Kong receive treatment for venereal disease, up from 10 per cent 10 years earlier.
Early 1900s - The colonial government begins restoring regulations without informing London, in an effort to combat the spread of disease.
1920s - A highly complex regulatory system, almost identical to that abolished 30 years earlier, is in effect.
1931 - A directive issued by London requires the government to close down all brothels.
1935 - The last brothel is shut down. The industry is driven underground, and becomes more dangerous and less profitable.
1938 - With the spread of venereal disease causing alarm and a restoration of controlled brothels politically impossible, the government launches a crackdown on the trade. Treatment facilities for the infected are also expanded. Policies remain in effect today.
1951 - The UN Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others is introduced. Britain is not a signatory.
1960 - Wan Chai’s sex industry gets the Hollywood treatment as The World of Suzie Wong is released
1970s - Unofficial estimates put the number of prostitutes at 18,000 as Hong Kong’s population swells to about four million.
1980s - The decline of the manufacturing industry drives more women into the sex trade. An estimated 40,000 work in the industry. The city’s population hits 5.5 million in 1985.
1990s - The Asian financial crisis increases unemployment and more women enter the trade. Sex workers’ rights groups are formed, beginning outreach and lobbying activities.
2000s - Outreach workers report that prostitutes are coming to the city from more countries as international travel becomes easier, while the handover brings more migrants from the mainland. An estimated 200,000 prostitutes cater for a population of seven million.
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