China Daily reports that officials in Hunan are debating whether or not to preserve an 18th century brothel building:
The brothel, built in 1733 in the ancient town of Jinggang, Hunan Province, is teetering on the verge of collapse and the local government is under pressure to make a decision on its historic value.
Changsha Evening News has reported that the authorities have held meetings to discuss its fate and most officials support protection of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) building known as Hongtaifang.
But many locals are protesting, arguing it should be demolished as it represents the worst aspects of China's feudal society.
On the one hand, there are those who see the building as representing the seamy side of Chinese culture:
Xiao Yisheng, a retired teacher from Zhongnan University in Changsha, capital of Hunan, said the brothel was a place where women were humiliated. Its restoration could be seen as promoting prostitution, which is illegal in China, said Xiao.
On the other hand, there are preservationists who call for a more comprehensive remembrance of things past:
Chai Xiaoming, an official with the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, told Xinhua that "it's irrational to think that protection of the brothel means approval of history's injustices."
"The aim of protecting historic relics is to make people aware of history. Many relics with negative associations are well preserved in China," he said.
I'm with the preservationists on this one. It is better to keep the full range of historical experience before us, all the better to appreciate ancient realities. Historical China was not a Confucian paradise, where all males were well mannered gentlemen sitting around reciting poetry and taking care of their parents. It was a complex human society, riven by immoral as well as moral pursuits. Indeed, keeping the brothel will give us a better understanding of just what Confucian moralists were up against.
And I especially liked this passage:
A commentary under the name "Zhifan" in Shanghai-based Jiefang Daily said historic fact should be acknowledged and respected.
"Protection of the terracotta warriors and horses doesn't mean we look approvingly on the atrocities of Qinshihuang, who ordered the construction of the giant mausoleum for himself," the author wrote, adding that the preservation of the brothel should not be seen as an endorsement of prostitution.
Exactly! Qin was a horrible man, whose brutality came to dominate the land. But, whatever his faults, we must remember him through his relics, all the better to appreciate the terrible human costs of authoritarian government.
So, save the brothel! It obviously does not have to be a brothel now. Make it a teahouse and let the tourists pay to see the old architecture. I would.
Making it a women's cultural center or something similar would be wonderfully appropriate, if perhaps not likely.
Posted by: windlotus | August 18, 2006 at 05:09 PM