[SEAJ]

Since we’re into speculation and fortune telling – here’s my speculation about Chang Ping!

The way I understand it, the entertainment industry was allowed to start in Dongguan because it had the one-eye-open-one-eye-closed unofficial approval of the Powers-that-be in Beijing. Back in the eighties, China was very eager to attract foreign investments – especially those from Taiwan and Hong Kong; but one big problem was that Taiwan/Hong Kong managers were loath having to take up hardship postings in the still very drab mainland of the time – especially since during those days, the night scene in Taiwan/Hong Kong were going full blast. So some of these” entertainment venue providers,” were quite favorably looked upon by the government and they had not only gained fortunes but also valuable connections etc. - which of course were the early beginnings of these “protective umbrellas.”

Chang Ping, on the fringes of the main manufacturing areas, had actually only been a “secondary” area - mostly catering to the cross-border truck drivers who needed to stay overnight in China as the borders had closed at midnight then. These drivers made very good money at that time – up to HK$40,000 per month - as there were not that many drivers who had licenses to drive both in China as well as Hong Kong - and so they really lived it up whilst their containers got filled at the factories overnight.

In those days, most had considered Chang Ping as quite low class and not really suitable for “decent businessmen” – something which only started to turn around when the Hong Kong – Guangzhou intercity train intermediate stop was moved from ZhangMutou to Chang Ping. Before the advent of the CRH hi-speed train service, most Hong Kong as well as Taiwanese factory owner/managers usually travelled to their Dongguan factories on this direct train and it only became natural that they would at least stay a while before traveling by car to their factories and Chang Ping started to flourish (Up to a couple or so years ago, Taiwanese were forced to travel via Hong Kong to go to Southern China).

Anyway, the way I look at it, the “entertainment industry” is no longer central to attracting investments as China had meanwhile offered an ever higher standard of living for these expatriate mangers and factory owners. And meanwhile, this industry have been attracting too much sleaze, temptation, tangible cause for corrupt practices, criminality etc. On top of that, I really do believe that the Chinese do not want their country to be known as being an International sex destination – something which it was rapidly turning into unless this industry got reined in quickly.

This being so, I really cannot see how Chang Ping can ever return to how it was in the past; yes, there’s no way to fully eradicate prostitution but IMHO, Chang Ping will become quite a bit more “Genteel” in its practices and of course way more expensive.

All this is purely my own speculation.

SEAJ