FLOATING BROTHELS AND THE CANTON FLOWER BOATS (1750 ─ 1930)水上妓院和廣東 “花船” (1750 ─ 1930)
The article investigates the historiography and social functioning of "floating brothels" in the Pearl River Delta between 1750 and 1930, contrasting two key contexts: the vessels of Whampoa, known to foreigners as "lob lob boats," and the "flower boats" (or barcos floridos) of Canton. The main thes...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Articles |
| Published: |
Instituto Cultural de Macau
January 2011
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40037/3286 |
| _version_ | 1877196270502674432 |
|---|---|
| author | Paul A. Van Dyke |
| author_autocomplete | Paul A. Van Dyke |
| author_browse | Paul A. Van Dyke |
| author_facet | Paul A. Van Dyke Paul A. Van Dyke |
| author_sort | Paul A. Van Dyke |
| container_title | Review of Culture |
| container_title_str | Review of Culture |
| container_volume | 37 |
| container_volume_str | 37 |
| description | The article investigates the historiography and social functioning of "floating brothels" in the Pearl River Delta between 1750 and 1930, contrasting two key contexts: the vessels of Whampoa, known to foreigners as "lob lob boats," and the "flower boats" (or barcos floridos) of Canton. The main thesis argues that, although frequently described in Western sources as places of "debauchery," these institutions were instead mechanisms integrated into the port economy and into relations among merchants, sailors, and local authorities. Methodologically, the author undertakes a critical reinterpretation of historical sources and contemporary representations, articulating differences in clientele, regulation, and operating practices. It is argued that in Whampoa, the floating brothels served both foreigners and Asians, functioning as part of the "riverine landscape" and, at the same time, as indirect instruments for managing the foreign presence, with mediation and oversight by the mandarins. In Canton, by contrast, the "flower boats" supposedly served mostly Chinese men, maintaining an exclusivity that depended on their functional connection to a broader ecosystem of floating services. It is concluded that these boats should be understood as sociopolitical and economic institutions, and not merely as spaces of depravity. |
| first_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:56:57Z |
| format | Articles |
| genre | Articles |
| genre_facet | Articles |
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| hierarchy_parent_title | Review of Culture |
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| hierarchy_top_title | News |
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| issn | 1682-1106 |
| last_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:56:57Z |
| latest_content_date | 2026-09-11T02:56:57Z |
| publishDate | January 2011 |
| publishDateRange | 2011 |
| publishDateSort | 2011 |
| publishPlace | Macau |
| publisher | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
| publisherStr | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
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| spelling | FLOATING BROTHELS AND THE CANTON FLOWER BOATS (1750 ─ 1930)水上妓院和廣東 “花船” (1750 ─ 1930) The article investigates the historiography and social functioning of "floating brothels" in the Pearl River Delta between 1750 and 1930, contrasting two key contexts: the vessels of Whampoa, known to foreigners as "lob lob boats," and the "flower boats" (or barcos floridos) of Canton. The main thesis argues that, although frequently described in Western sources as places of "debauchery," these institutions were instead mechanisms integrated into the port economy and into relations among merchants, sailors, and local authorities. Methodologically, the author undertakes a critical reinterpretation of historical sources and contemporary representations, articulating differences in clientele, regulation, and operating practices. It is argued that in Whampoa, the floating brothels served both foreigners and Asians, functioning as part of the "riverine landscape" and, at the same time, as indirect instruments for managing the foreign presence, with mediation and oversight by the mandarins. In Canton, by contrast, the "flower boats" supposedly served mostly Chinese men, maintaining an exclusivity that depended on their functional connection to a broader ecosystem of floating services. It is concluded that these boats should be understood as sociopolitical and economic institutions, and not merely as spaces of depravity. Instituto Cultural de Macau Macau Review of Culture Articles January 2011 Paul A. Van Dyke |
| spellingShingle | FLOATING BROTHELS AND THE CANTON FLOWER BOATS (1750 ─ 1930)水上妓院和廣東 “花船” (1750 ─ 1930) Paul A. Van Dyke |
| title | FLOATING BROTHELS AND THE CANTON FLOWER BOATS (1750 ─ 1930)水上妓院和廣東 “花船” (1750 ─ 1930) |
| title_autocomplete | FLOATING BROTHELS AND THE CANTON FLOWER BOATS (1750 ─ 1930)水上妓院和廣東 “花船” (1750 ─ 1930) |
| title_full | FLOATING BROTHELS AND THE CANTON FLOWER BOATS (1750 ─ 1930)水上妓院和廣東 “花船” (1750 ─ 1930) |
| title_fullStr | FLOATING BROTHELS AND THE CANTON FLOWER BOATS (1750 ─ 1930)水上妓院和廣東 “花船” (1750 ─ 1930) |
| title_full_unstemmed | FLOATING BROTHELS AND THE CANTON FLOWER BOATS (1750 ─ 1930)水上妓院和廣東 “花船” (1750 ─ 1930) |
| title_short | FLOATING BROTHELS AND THE CANTON FLOWER BOATS (1750 ─ 1930)水上妓院和廣東 “花船” (1750 ─ 1930) |
| title_sort | floating brothels and the canton flower boats (1750 ─ 1930)水上妓院和廣東 “花船” (1750 ─ 1930) |
| url | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40037/3286 |
| zotero_collection_key | 76L3BRGH |