After taking power in , the Communist Party of China embarked upon a series of campaigns with the aim of eradicating prostitution from mainland China by the early s. Since the loosening of government controls over society in the early s, prostitution in mainland China not only has become more visible, but can now be found throughout both urban and rural areas.
In spite of government efforts, prostitution has now developed to the extent that it comprises an industry, one that involves a great number of people and produces a considerable economic output. Prostitution has also become associated with a number of problems, including organized crime, government corruption, hypocrisy, and sexually transmitted diseases. For example, a Communist Party official who was a major provincial campaigner against corruption was removed from his post after he was caught in a hotel room with a prostitute.
Prostitution and related activities in mainland China appear in diverse forms, at various venues and prices, and with prostitutes coming from a range of social backgrounds. They are almost all female, though in recent years male prostitutes have also emerged. Venues include hotels, massage parlors, karaoke bars and beauty salons.
Officially, prostitution is illegal in mainland China. Since the reemergence of prostitution in the s, government authorities have responded by first using the legal system, that is, the daily operations of courts and police.
Second, they have relied on police-led campaigns, clearly delineated periods of intense public activity, as a form of social discipline. Despite lobbying by international NGOs and overseas commentators, there is not much support for legalisation of the sex sector by the public, social organizations or the government of the PRC. While the sale of sexual intercourse remains illegal throughout mainland China, as of erotic massage , more commonly known as massage with "happy endings", is legal in the city of Foshan in Guangdong province.
