Since the beginning of this year, there have been endless news of "bankruptcy" when traveling to Singapore: heavy fines, high consumption, gambling losses, and many scammers......
But in fact, many people don't talk about one thing, and that is Geylang, the only legal red light district in Asia, but many tourists come to experience it.
After all, this is a direct "prostitution" on the table, an open and legal Singapore Geylang. Even many people who have never been to Singapore will smile at the mention of Geylang.
But you may not know that Singapore's red light district was retained by the Father of the Nation Lee Kuan Yew, and it is better to be legal than to ban it......
Singapore is a highly civilized country with a strict legal system
There is the only official red light district in Asia
As we all know, Singapore is notoriously strict in its legal system. $1,000 for bare shoulders, $10,000 for WiFi, $500 for feeding pigeons, $500 for not flushing toilets...
Moreover, Singapore pays attention to the protection of women, and is a true women's paradise, and the Women's Charter is regarded as a nightmare for Singaporean men.
But it is shocking that such a highly civilized Singapore has put "carnal desire" on the table and set up a formal red light district - Geylang, which is fair and legal. After all, there are no formal establishments even in Thailand, and they are all quietly opened in the name of massage parlors.
Someone said: "In Geylang, it is common to see Taoist priests and sex workers passing by, at the foot of Buddha statues or beside the church, and the spectacle of pleasure seekers and sex sellers haggling." The Qinglou and the Yellow Temple reflect each other, and there is only such an interesting place as Geylang. ”
Many people can't help but wonder why Singapore, which has strict laws and still retains caning, is so generous in the matter of "prostitution"?
This has to start with Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. It was he who chose to keep the red light district and make it legal.
Singapore used to be a "large 'tech' institute"
Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew insisted on preserving the red-light district
Before Singapore's independence, the sex trade was already a serious social problem. According to the book "Ah Ku and Karayuki-san" (Chinese translation "Ah Ju and Miss Tang Xing"), during the British colonial period, Singapore imported a large number of laborers, resulting in an imbalance between men and women, and some women were forced to sell themselves to survive.
Although the UK has made sex trafficking illegal, it has turned a blind eye to the actual implementation and has not completely banned it.
After Singapore was occupied by Japan, the industry reached its peak. By 1950, feminist figure Shirin Fozdar had denounced that "the whole of Singapore is simply a big 'technic' institute".
Diagram
It was not until 1965 that Singapore became independent.
It is said that a minister proposed to ban prostitution at that time, but Lee Kuan Yew pondered for a moment and asked: If prostitution is abolished, will the illegal sex trade disappear?
The minister was stunned for a moment, and after thinking deeply, he replied: No! Seven emotions and six desires are human nature and cannot be extinguished. It is true that even in the world of the 21st century, there is still an underground sex trade in most parts of the world.
Lee Kuan Yew believes that we need to be honest about human nature. Since the sex trade cannot be eradicated, forcibly banning it will only make it more difficult to control. Rather than destroying humanity, it is better to simply set aside a specific area and make it legitimate, which is easy to manage.
As a result, Singapore has Geylang, the only legal red light district in Asia.
Prostitution is legal in Geylang Singapore
Sex workers are certified to work, undergo medical examinations, and pay taxes
Lee Kuan Yew's decision caused a lot of controversy at the time. Some people believe that this is a violation of women's rights, while others believe that the industry should be completely banned. But Lee Kuan Yew insisted on keeping it and included the red light district in the formal trade.
But as time went on, more and more people saw the benefits of this policy and admired Lee Kuan Yew's foresight.
In the red light district of Geylang, sex workers are formally trained and supervised. Their rights to work are protected by law, they need a license, they need to pay taxes, and they need to comply with a series of strict regulations.
Female workers, both local and foreign, must sign a document with the Singapore Police to ensure compliance with a set of strict regulations, such as "go home immediately after work", "must solicit business in a specific area", "foreign female workers are not allowed to serve Singaporean customers", etc.
These special workers, only those who have passed the physical examination can take up their posts and get a work permit issued by the government, commonly known as a "yellow card".
Yellow Card holders need to meet the following conditions:
1. Be between the ages of 21 and 35;
2. You must not be a Muslim;
3. The gender on the ID card cannot be male;
4. Foreign workers, must be from the list of approved countries (e.g. Malaysia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.).
They are required to undergo monthly health check-ups (at their own expense), initially once a month for six months and then once every three months. Any time you are found to have contracted an illness while working in Singapore, you must immediately stop working or be deported to your home country.
If a foreigner holds a "yellow card", the qualification is equivalent to WP (cannot marry a local, cannot apply for PR), and needs to leave the country within 2 years, and cannot enter the country again with the same status for life.
It is precisely because of Singapore's strict management of the "red light district" that male tourists from all over the world are willing to come to Singapore to spend, bringing huge economic benefits to hotels and restaurants near Geylang.
Legal prostitution does not mean that prostitution is legal
It is illegal except for Geylang 30
Although Singapore has the only official red light district in Asia, Geylang, prostitution is legal in Singapore, but it does not mean that prostitution is legal.
The only area where prostitution is legal in Geylang is between Lane 2 and Lane 30, and the single alley is a street for restaurants.
During the day, Geylang is not much different from most places outside of Singapore's CBD (Central Business District). There are many slightly old houses, as well as hotels, shops and office buildings.
But when dusk comes, it takes on a different look, and female workers start to haunt the roadside in twos and threes, soliciting business.
They are all dressed in revealing clothes and delicate makeup, and they will not be shy or timid, but will show their signature smiles and say "Come and play" in a coquettish tone to attract customers.
Except for the area of Geylang Lane 2-30, prostitution is illegal anywhere in Singapore!
For example, the "Haojie Building" once reported by Know-it-all, which was once the infamous Orchard Road Sex Cave, which alone occupied four floors of sexual services and earned the nickname "Four Floors of Prostitutes".
Sex workers in Geylang are also not necessarily legal
About 20,000 illegal "warblers" are secretly engaged in prostitution
Prostitution is legal in Geylang, but sex workers in Geylang are not necessarily legal.
A few years ago, Singapore's official statistics showed that the government issued about 1,000 "yellow cards", but the actual number of practitioners far exceeded this number. In 2016, the Singapore police arrested more than 2,000 undocumented prostitutes in a large-scale crackdown on pornography and illegal activities......
It is estimated that about 20,000 people in Singapore are "illegally" engaged in this particular industry, and a large number of people from countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar come to make money in the name of tourism.
These people are known as "rookies", and they will make deals with customers privately under the guise of massages, etc., usually for around S$40-100.
But as soon as these people are caught, they are repatriated.
Even if you go to Geylang to experience, you should pay attention and try to choose female workers who are certified to work. Illegal practitioners cannot guarantee whether there is any disease.
Singapore casinos attract a large number of tourists
A large wave of foreign tourists went bankrupt
In addition to Geylang, Singapore also has one of the main attractions – casinos.
A friend of the know-it-all lost more than 8,000 yuan in a few hours when he came to the Singapore casino, and he couldn't sleep for several days, which was called a miserable!
There are also Chinese tourists, who lost money in the casino and wanted to recoup their capital, so they pretended to be kidnappers and domestic relatives that they were kidnapped, and finally got themselves arrested...... [For details, please click: Chinese man was "kidnapped" when he came to Singapore for tourism, and his family was extorted for 30,000 ransoms!
In this regard, the embassy in Singapore directly issued a reminder: "Even if overseas casinos are legally opened, cross-border gambling of Chinese citizens is suspected of violating mainland laws, especially participating in the organization of gambling and gambling games, etc., and will be held accountable in accordance with the law." Embassies and consulates may not be able to provide consular protection for violations. ”
Jack-of-all-trades in Singapore
, like 390
In addition, there are many foreign workers from all over the world who also like to go to casinos.
On Friday and Saturday nights, Singapore's casinos welcome a large number of foreign workers as they do not have to pay an entrance fee. They tend to be immersed in two gambling games, Sic Bo and Russian roulette, and tend to gamble overnight.
Some people are addicted to gambling and do not hesitate to borrow usury, while others are suspected of losing money and incurring too many debts to hang themselves......
Lee Kuan Yew: Stepping over his corpse to open a casino
His son, Lee Hsien Loong, approved the opening of 2
Gambling is very harmful, so why should Singapore still open casinos? Aren't you afraid that Singaporeans will become addicted to gambling?
You know, Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father who retained the red light district, hated casinos. He once bluntly said: "Singapore wants to open a casino unless it crosses my corpse." ”
Unfortunately, in 2005, his son, Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore's current prime minister, insisted on approving the opening of the casino. He believes that casinos can bring the same tourist scene in Singapore as London, Paris and New York.
At Lee Hsien Loong's insistence, Singapore officially introduced the casino industry. Currently, there are two casinos in Singapore, one at Resorts World Sentosa and managed by Genting Singapore Limited, and the other at Marina Bay Sands, developed by Las Vegas Sands.
Before 2009, Singapore's GDP shrank by 1.3%. As soon as the casino opened, 11.6 million tourists were crowded, and GDP soared by 14.7% in 2010, the highest growth rate since the founding of the People's Republic of China, making Singapore the fastest GDP growth country in Asia at the time.
While encouraging development, while restricting local ginseng gambling
Singapore wants both profit and people to stay away from gambling addiction
While the casinos have brought in huge profits, Singapore has not been carried away. While encouraging the development of casinos, they also restricted local ginseng gambling.
You have to have a license to open a market
Singapore law states that gambling activities can only be carried out if you have a license or exemption, otherwise it is illegal!
Gambling is prohibited under the age of 21
In Singapore, it is an offence for you to engage in any gambling activity or enter a gambling establishment, and it is a criminal offence if discovered. However, the minimum age to gamble at Singapore Pools' physical stores will remain at 18.
Locals pay $150 at the casino
Singapore citizens and PRs are required to pay an entrance fee of S$150 to enter the casino. Locals would rather go to Genting Casino than Singapore Casino.
Voluntary limits
You can pre-set a 24-hour limit on the amount of gambling you can make to a Singapore casino, win or lose, and once you reach the amount you set, you have to leave.
Gambling bans
If you are concerned that you are getting into a gambling habit, you can apply for a Gambling Exclusion Order or a Voluntary Entry Restriction Order. In this way, the casino will list you as a prohibited person or a limited number of times, and you will not be able to enter even if you want to.
The minimum time for the ban is 1 year, and there is no upper limit. Your family can also help you apply~
In this way, Singapore not only enjoys the dividends of gambling, but also avoids the harm of its own people's addiction to gambling, killing two birds with one stone.
Singapore Geylang and casinos are very serious
It is a must-see tourist attraction on Jeonpo Island
When it comes to red light districts or casinos, many people think of "bright lights, mixed dragons and snakes, smoky miasma, and ruffians and hooligans......
Admittedly, there are areas where this is the case, but in Singapore, it's a different story.
Geylang, the only official red-light district in Asia, has been named one of the top 10 must-visit places in Singapore by Time magazine in the United States.
Singapore's two major casinos are one of the attractions recommended by the Tourism Board. Sands and Sentosa are both internationally renowned integrated entertainment resorts, and casinos are just a part of it.
Everyone is welcome to visit these places.