ABSTRACT
The heavy thud of techno-music drums rumbles from the entrance of a karaoke bar. A camera installed on the ceiling provides a live feed to monitors installed inside each private room. Customers can select their escorts from the comfort of couches in these suites. The heavy thud of techno-music drums rumbles from the entrance of a karaoke bar. A substantial fraction of female migrants find employment in Dalian’s booming sex industry. Karaoke bars can be found almost every few steps throughout the whole city. The companions or hostesses are referred to in Chinese as “sanpei xiaojie”, literally young women who accompany men in three ways – generally understood to include varying combinations of alcohol consumption, dancing, singing, and sexual services. Erotic services take place in various establishments that include karaoke bars, hotels, saunas, hair salons, disco and other dance halls, small roadside restaurants, parks, movie houses, and video rooms.
