Photo: SCMP

When one says they’re going on a trip to Dongguan, it’s often greeted with a wink-wink, nudge-nudge.  Such is the reputation of the city; while it has world-class golf courses and famous shopping markets, the PRD city has become synonymous with sex.

Reporter Vivienne Chow with the South China Morning Post has published a story (behind a paywall) on a new movie coming out called Due West, which is based on a book of the same name.  It documents Hong Kong men who seek sex on the Mainland, particularly Dongguan.

“Simon” serves as one of the extras in the film, and explains why men head north for sex, even when they’re married:

“You know, tenderness is not to be found from your wife,” he says. “A wife is not as good as a concubine; a concubine is not as good as a secret affair; and a secret affair is not as good as one that you desire, but who’s beyond your reach. It is this excitement that makes men want to go to these places. In here, you can enjoy the lifestyle of a king that you will never have at home with your woman.”

Interestingly enough, the men interviewed in Chow’s article seem to indicate they are seeking more than just sex.  They also blame Hong Kong women for their attitudes, which they claim are forcing them to go elsewhere for affection.

Despite all the hassles – and the risk of getting caught – some men cannot resist making the trip to Dongguan every now and then. “That’s because you don’t find this tenderness in reality… such as feeding you a piece of melon,” says 34-year-old “John”, another extra in Due West.

“You can never get that [from Hong Kong women]. Men are egoistic. We need to be respected, and these venues give us the respect that we need. It’s true that I pay for it. It’s a kind of service. It’s fake. But it’s worth it,” John says.

“Men are afraid of being controlled. Many Hong Kong women suffer from the ‘princess syndrome’. They want to tie their men down, but it never works,” Simon says.

Sex can cost anywhere from RMB300 to RMB1,100 depending on the girl, venue, and service provided, the article said.  Many are paraded out for men to select as though they were picking players for a middle-school flag football team.

Prostitution is rampant in China, but one wonders how Dongguan became one of the country’s sex capitals.  Its proximity to Hong Kong certainly doesn’t hurt, but Shenzhen is even closer (although it, too, has a large-scale sex industry).  Aside from what is on offer in Dongguan, it would be interesting to read how the industry developed to such a degree in the city.

No word on when the movie will be released.