The nation’s last legal brothel has closed its doors, partly due to the effects of the COVID-19 oubreak, in what could mean an end to licensed brothels in the country, local police said yesterday.
Taoyuan-based Tientienle (天天樂) in March reported to police that it would close its doors on Wednesday last week, but has not applied to cancel its license, police said.
If the owner of the brothel does not resume operations by July 1, the license would be automatically revoked in accordance with regulations, police said.
Photo: Yu Jui-jen, Taipei Times
The COVID-19 pandemic decimated business at the brothel, which saw a steady decline in clients over the years as illicit online prostitution grew, local media reported.
Since the most recent spike in domestic COVID-19 cases began in March, the four registered sex workers employed by Tientienle found it hard to make a steady income and left the brothel, reports said.
To phase out prostitution, the government started to regulate brothels in 1956, stipulating that only licensed establishments would be allowed to operate, but would have to close once the original owner died.
Tientienle was one of about 500 brothels that received licenses since the 1956 policy was enacted, reports said.
At the beginning of 2018, there were only four legal brothels in Taiwan, including one in Taichung, which shut down voluntarily at the end of that year, one in Yilan that was forced to close by the government, one in Penghu County that was closed after its owner passed away, and Tientienle.
In 2011, the legislature revised the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法) to allow local governments to set up red-light districts to legally manage the sex trade, following a constitutional ruling in 2019 that declared Article 80 of the act unconstitutional, as it punished sex workers, but not their clients.
As sex work remains a controversial issue, no local government has so far proposed the creation of a legal red-light area.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS