Tuesday, December 13, 2005

The Brothels of Lyndhurst Terrace

In the course of several conversations in the past month, I have found several people disbelieving my claim that Lyndhurst Terrace, today a rather chic area for dining and shopping, was in fact once a red light district. Allow me to furnish proof, here, here, and here, announced by the Registrar-General of Hong Kong himself, who was at that time Frederick Stewart (previously also the Headmaster of the Government Central School and the Schools Inspector):
The Contagious Diseases Ordinance, 1867.

It is hereby notified that the part of the house hereinafter mentioned, that is to say, the First Floor of No. 16, Lyndhurst Terrace, [Today the Union Commercial Building - Ed.] was, on the 14th day of March, 1884, pursuant to Section 23 of the above ordinance, declared by me under my Hand and Seal of Office to be an Unlicensed Brothel.

It is hereby notified that the part of the house hereinafter mentioned, that is to say, the First Floor of No. 18, Lyndhurst Terrace, [Today the Car Po Commercial Building, home to a Midwives' office, and a Shark's Fin Restaurant, among other things - Ed.] was, on the 13th day of February, 1884, pursuant to Section 23 of the above Ordinance, declared by me under my Hand and Seal of Office to be an Unlicensed Brothel.
The next one is slightly more pointed, naming names in the process:
It is hereby notified that the part of the house hereinafter mentioned, that is to say, the First Floor of No. 27, Lyndhurst Terrace, [Today home to the chic club Fly] of which Mr. S.B. Bhabha is the registered Lessee, was, on the 19th day od March, 1884, pursuant to Section 23 of the above Ordinance, declared by me under my Hand and Seal of Office to be an Unlicensed Brothel.
There you have it. An additional, closing anecdote, is one I take from Jan Morris's highly enjoyable history of Hong Kong. There was an Australian lady named Mrs. Randall, who advertised her services in the local newspaper at Lyndhurst Terrace by writing: "Mrs. Randall's has sweet HONEY available in small jars." The male-dominated world of 19th century Hong Kong thusly made concessions to the customs of Victorian England.

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