China’s Commercial Sexscapes

Even though China’s sex industry is notoriously vast, most accounts of it come from Western societies (and focus on the extra-marital, erotic experiences of travelling businessmen). Based on almost two hundred interviews with both female sex workers and male clients, conducted in three major niche markets, China’s Commercial Sexscapes by Eileen Yuk-ha Tsang explores the complex dynamics of sex worker and client relationships, and places them within the wider context of expanding globalization and capitalism.

The purchasing of sex by single, young-adult men is increasingly viewed, within Chinese society, as a socially acceptable way for them to not only experience but assert heteronormative masculinity. Tsang strives to let readers hear about such social pressures directly from sex workers and clients by providing lengthy interview excerpts. Investigating human rights, social policy, and the criminal justice system, China’s Commercial Sexscapes is a comprehensive yet intimate look at how men and women interact within China’s unsteady economy following the recent global financial crisis.