Just about one month ago, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, President of the People's Republic of China and Chairman of the PRC's Central Military Commission. Issued what amounted to an executive order that closed public brothels in China.
Just about every city in the PRC had a red light district, also known locally in each city as "Chicken Street" where country girls would flock to work as prostitutes.
Westerners visiting many cities in China are frequently nearly mobbed outside of their hotels by aggressive women who ply their trade. Once in Shenzhen, I counted - yes actually counted - 400 prostitutes outside of my nice, American style hotel on the street and grounds. Based on reliable information from friends on the ground, that is no more. To everyone's surprise, the ban on whorehouses in the Chicken Streets remain closed.
Almost every year in September, prior to the National Day holiday celebration that begins October 1, the police round up a token number of street walkers and they begin to vanish until National Day (which takes place over about a one week period) Celebration has come to a conclusion. This isn't the same thing.
A friend of mine who owns a factory in China reported that the rumors are true.