CHINA — History, they say, is written by the victors. It may also be written by whoever decides which historic buildings deserve to be preserved.Hongtaifang was established in 1733 and its ancient walls are crumbling. However, Chinese officials are faced with conflicting moral and social obligations and struggling to decide whether or not it should be given government funds in order to its centuries-old reminder of what some consider to be immoral days gone by.
In a country where respecting one’s ancestors and heritage is of deep importance, the debate has expanded beyond the local government of Hunan province’s Jinggang and into the state newspapers and internet chatrooms.
Xiao Yisheng, a retired university professor opposes restoring the building, claiming that “The brothel was a place where women were humiliated in the old society,” according to quotes gathered by the Xinhau news agency. “Its restoration could be seen as promoting prostitution,” he concluded.
But Tan Feng, a student from the college Xiao once taught at had another take on the situation. Aware of the fact that the site is likely to inspire a wide range of reactions, he stated that “When I entered the brothel, it reminded me that it was a place where the ancients indulged in sensual pleasures.”
Some have pointed out that allowing the building to decay would not put an end to prostitution and — perhaps more importantly in this case — China has preserved other buildings with less than savory histories. Among them are Xian’s World Heritage-listed terra cotta warriors, discovered in one of China’s more blood soaked emperors, Qinshihuang.
Chai Xiaoming, a heritage official pointed out that “The aim of protecting the historic relics is to make people aware of history. Many relics with negative associations are well preserved in China.”
