Hong Kong Snapshot (78) Tai Ping Theatre, the love and sex of prostitutes and actors 香港隨拍 (78) 太平戲院，名妓鍾情於名伶

Shek Tong Tsui is at the west of HK Island. It is a peaceful and quiet community. But old people in HK all know that Shek Tong Tsui was the most lively place in HK in the 1920-1930s, as all the best brothels were at Shek Tong Tsui. 1904, Tai Ping Theatre, the biggest theatre and cinema of HK was built in Shek Tong Tsui.

石塘咀位於香港島的差不多最西邊，是一個寧靜的社區，不過老一輩的人都知道，在一九二三十年代時，石塘咀是香港最繁榮的地方，皆因這裡有著全香港最著名的妓院，每天都有不少豪客、富人在石塘咀散盡千金，1904年，全香港最大的太平戲院在石塘咀落成。

Tai Ping Theatre had three floors with 2000 seats, operating the Cantonese Opera performances. All the best opera actors like Ma Si Tsang and Mei Lanfang had their performances at Tai Ping Theatre. Every time when British officials came HK, the HK Government provided them the best Cantonese Opera at Tai Ping Theatre. And during the normal time, most audiences were the rich people, and prostitutes.

太平戲院初落成時，樓高三層，有2000個座位，以公演粵劇為主，當時中國最當紅的名伶，如馬師曾、梅蘭芳等，都曾在太平戲院表演，每當英國要員到港巡視時，太平戲院必定是招待他們的其中一個場所，公演最頂級的粵劇。那平時呢？除了達官達人外，太平戲院最多的客人就是妓女。

Interior of Tai Ping Theatre 太平戲院內部
(photo from Wikipedia)

The sought-after prostitutes of Shek Tong Tsui earned a lot. During the time a normal worker earned around ten the twenty dollars a month. A sought after prostitute may earned a few thousand! The best entertainment for prostitutes were Tai Ping Theatre. There were different seats with different fees. The cheapest was only 20 cent. And the most expensive was the “Imperial Concubine’s Beds”, costing 12 dollars. People could lie on the bed, enjoying performances and having opium. Most Imperial Concubine’s Beds were provided to prostitutes.

塘西名妓受盡萬千寵愛，月入可達數千，當時香港一般工作的工資都只有十多二十元，可想而知名妓的富貴程度了！有錢自然就找娛樂，那時最大的娛樂就是看大戲了。太平戲院有不同價錢的座位，最便宜的只需兩毫，最貴的是「貴妃床」位，其實就是一張大床，供客人躺著，邊抽鴉片邊看戲，票價盛惠十二元，而包下貴妃床位的，多是妓女。

Tai Ping Theatre, 太平戲院, 1920 and 2018

The prostitutes were not only enjoying the performance but also enjoying the actors. Although they deal with rich people every day, whom they loved were those young and handsome actors. People always said “boys charm girls, and girls charm actors”. The prostitutes spent a lot on the actors. They just booked all beds to support the actors they loved. At the time, rich people showed their power by the number of banquet they could order. Prostitutes showed their power by the number of beds they could book. And actors? They showed their value by the number of prostitutes loving them.

妓女們看戲，一是看戲，二是追求戲子，雖然妓女們每天都對著一大班富人，但她們鍾意的，都是年青英俊的名伶，當時人稱「男溫女、女溫伶」。妓女們為戲子攦盡千金，只為得其寵愛，不惜倒貼錢財，太平戲院更因此加開通宵場大收特收。富人們在酒樓以能包下多少酒席展身價，名妓們反則以能包下多少張床展身價，戲子呢？就以能得到多少名妓鍾情以展身價。

HK film “Rouge”, a story of prostitute of Shek Tong Tsui
電影《胭脂扣》，就是講述塘西名妓的故事

Under the situation, People in Shek Tong Tsui were living in a drunken and dreamy state. It’s like the heaven. But all ended after HK Government banning prostitution in 1932. The Tai Ping Theatre changed to screen movies and was closed in 1981. The rich people were still rich people. The actors became normal actors again. And the prostitutes? Let me tell you the ending of three sought-after prostitutes: “Peanut Kwai” became a hawker selling peanuts. Hong Man Kok became a private prostitute until she was 60. And Fung Sin, she became a beggar.

在這樣的環境下，石塘咀每天醉身夢死，尤如人間天堂。這一切隨著香港政府於1932年正式禁娼而煙銷雲散，太平戲院其後轉為經營電影，但最終都在1981年結業。富人仍是富人，但戲子們則打回原形，妓女呢？流落街頭。當年其中三位最著名的妓女，花生桂在街頭賣花生唯生，洪文閣做私娼做到六十歲仍在做，還有鳳仙，最後行乞街頭。

Clarence Terrence was the house where the sought after prostitutes lived. We may imagine the image of the prostitutes bringing the actors back to their home through a stair to Clarence Terrence up on the hill. Today, the stair is gone and become the Shek Tong Tsui Municipal Services Building.

當年名妓們都住在山上的加倫臺，我們可以幻想當年名妓們都大戲表演後，帶著戲子從一條長長的樓梯回到她們的香閏。今天，那條樓梯已成石塘咀市政大樓。

Pretty face, poor fate. It’s not only talking about the prostitutes. In the 19th and early 20th century, many young HK girls were bought by the rich British. Let’s talk about it in the nest post.

自古紅顏多薄命，除了妓女，上世紀的香港女子，還有很多被洋人包養的命運，讓我們容後再續。

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Thanks for spending your time to read my articles. I like to share stories of Hong Kong. I wish you may support me and I will keep going!
謝謝你能抽空閱讀這篇文章，我平日喜歡分享香港的故事，希望大家多多支持，我會繼續努力！