Gay China, Taiwan, Hong Kong & Macau

I know locals have a pretty active market in Beijing but I don't speak any Chinese. What's the hiring situation in Beijing? Any massage or direct hiring places?

I visited Soi 13 on Saturday 18:30, June 10. Someone wrote here that it's the best sauna in Asia. I'd say maybe it's the best sauna in the world (Brazilian garoto saunas excluded)! Two non sexual things striked me in the first few minutes. One, everything including the floor is so squeaky clean, everyone is barefooted (maybe footware is prohibited). Two, there are unlimited free light drinks. Lots of young eye candies; didn't notice any attitude. Although, as usual, many walking around stone-faced zombie-like, there's also talk to be seen and heard. I guess it's mostly because friends come together, but - for example - an old local striked up a not…

On a Monday - when would b the best time to go?

The Chinese peoples have a particular reverence for their ancestors. All around the country there are graveyards or merely simple gravestones, usually slightly circular with a concrete pllnth where descendents can place their offerings of flowers, fruit and the departed's favourite dishes. Hong Kong has several, the large ones in the built up city areas, the individual ones dotted around what used to be called the New Territories. But as one of the most densely populated parts of the planet, land for graveyards ran out years ago. As a result, many families kept the ashes of their ancestors in urns given a special place in their homes. But as the size of family …

From CNN By Maggie Hiufu Wong, CNN — “Goodbye, Kai Tak, and thank you.” It’s been 25 years since Richard Siegel, Hong Kong’s then-director of civil aviation, bid farewell and turned off the lights at Hong Kong Kai Tak International Airport. On July 6, 1998, the city’s main air hub closed its doors, moving services to the bigger and swankier new Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok. The retired facility was rechristened as Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, the largest cruise terminal in town, in 2013. The 25-year-old “new” airport has pulled off numerous achievements – it’s frequently named one of the top five airports in the wor…

On a Monday - when would b the best time to go?

The Impact of MacLennan’s “Suicide” The tragic circumstances of MacLennan’s death are unlikely ever to be known – or at least made public. Could it possibly have been suicide? Was he indeed murdered, as so many continue to believe? Several books and articles have been written on the subject. The latest “A Death in Hong Kong” by Nigel Collett was published early last year. I have not read it. Based on its reviews, though, Collett places the suicide/murder in the context of the times, something not generally well known now and which I have also tried to explain above. As the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong’s primary daily English language newspaper) reviewer…

Since Aniki died 2 years ago, most of the discussion on saunas in Taipei has revolved around the relatively new Soi 13in. It certainly remains THE sauna for meeting mostly young Taiwanese and other Asians, especially at the week-ends when it always seems packed with way over 100 cute guys. But another sauna is undergoing something of a rebirth! For at least 2 decades, Hans Mens Sauna near the Red House gay complex of bars and cafes has continued to attract mostly older Taiwanese with occasional university students after classes and on a Saturday. The last time I went pre-covid it was pretty run down and sleazy, its one main attractive feature being a hot pool where y…

Public Anger following the Inquest There was an immediate public outcry with calls for an independent inquiry. On May 23 the recently appointed Attorney-General John Griffiths announced there was no need to reopen the inquest as the overwhelming body of evidence pointed to suicide. Griffiths himself had held two concerns prior to taking over the post of Attorney General less than a year earlier: homosexuality and the molestation of underage youths. He was determined to address both, but in his zeal tended to forget that there was a very marked difference between the two ‘crimes’. With new details of the MacLennan affair daily appearing in the media, he was well aware…

More than a decade ago there was a post here about a famous suicide/murder in Hong Kong that reverberated through the gay community and how the general community reacted to it. Given the interest that has been expressed in a thread recently in learning more about the gay history of Bangkok, I thought some might find an expanded version of the events in January 1980 in Hong Kong of interest. This long article was written by a prominent gay expat journalist and author based in Hong Kong for several decades. Before he sadly died, he asked me to assist him with some research for the following article which he hoped would be published in one of the international gay magaz…

Homosexuality in Hong Kong In 1967, the government in Westminster had decriminalised homosexuality. The law had been on the UK statute books since 1861 and immediately became law in all British colonial possessions. The repeal of the law was initially confined to England and Wales, although later confirmed also in Scotland and Northern Ireland. By 1967 Britain had already relinquished power in almost all of its former colonies, but the homosexuality law in these countries had not been repealed. It therefore remained – and in close to forty countries still remains – as law, including Hong Kong (eventually repealed in 1991 – see below), Singapore, Malaysia, Jamaica and…

Suspicion Falls on MacLennan In possession of so much detailed knowledge that many might wish to suppress, MacLennan became nervous. Within months of his return he was sacked from the RHKP and given one month’s salary in lieu of notice. The reason was an alleged homosexual advance. In the summer that year, he is alleged to have made a pass at a 17-year old Chinese student who was studying in Glasgow and had returned to be with his family for the summer vacation. The advance was rejected. The student later told a friend about the incident. This friend’s father happened to be a corrupt former police sergeant who had been sacked from the Force. With no love for any…

From BBC China's first domestically-manufactured passenger jet has successfully completed its maiden commercial flight. State TV showed the C919 rising into the skies above Shanghai, heading to the capital Beijing early on Sunday. It was built by the Commercial Aviation Corporation of China (Comac) in the hope of breaking the dominance of Airbus and Boeing's single-aisle jets. But the 164-seater still relies heavily on Western components, including engines and avionics. State-backed China Eastern Airline has ordered five of the planes. Comac - which plans…

On Tuesday Taiwan's parliament approved a bill giving same sex couples the right to adopt children. When it passed approval for same sex marriage 4 years ago, it stopped short of adding acoption rights. That has now changed. 'Fan Yun, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party was among those that initiated the legal change . . . “Parental love is the same, and only through joint adoption can we protect the rights and interests of each other by law.”' https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/16/asia/taiwan-same-sex-adoption-marriage-equality-lgbtq-intl-hnk/index.html

I'll be heading to Hong Kong in two weeks. Have only been there once in 2014, though I stayed for a good amount of time. Quite excited to go back as I really had a great in there. My first time I went to around 5 different saunas, though I remember the name of just three of them. Based on that experience and doing some research on different websites, I'm listing the names ana d a description of some of the numerous (probably one of the highest in Asia) gay saunas in Hong Kong: Central Escalator (HK island) - remembering reading so much about this sauna before heading to HK the first time. It was supposed to be the place where the young rice queens of HK would ha…

I will be in HK in Oct. Are there massage parlor with HE in Hong Kong? If so, any recommendations?

From The Thaiger Budget airline Tigerair is launching direct flights between Taiwan and Phuket, southern Thailand, in May. Tigerair, a subsidiary of China Airlines, will be the only airline currently servicing the Taipei – Phuket route directly, twice per week. Phuket will become the airline’s second destination in Thailand. Tigerair currently serves direct flights between Taoyuan and Don Mueang Airport (DMX) in Bangkok. Flights will depart from Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 12.20pm. Departing from Phuket International Airport (HKT), flights will run on Wednesdays and Fridays at 4.45pm. Tick…

From Cathay Pacific In light of the latest announcement by the Hong Kong Government on 28 February 2023 to remove the mask-wearing mandate effective 1 March 2023, our passengers and employees will no longer be required to wear any face coverings when flying with us or visiting our lounges. Whether any individuals would like to continue wearing a face covering, this is optional, and we will respect their decision.

From Thai PBS Wold Hong Kong is scrapping its mask mandate from Wednesday, Chief Executive John Lee announced, ending the financial hub’s last major Covid curb as it seeks to emerge from the pandemic. The city was one of the last places in the world to require face coverings in virtually all public settings, with everyone over the age of two required to wear one or face a fine of up to HK$10,000 ($1,275). “I announce that the masking requirement will be completely cancelled starting tomorrow, March 1, including for indoors, outdoors and (on) public transportation,” Lee said at a brief press conference on Tuesday. He added that hospitals and…

From Channel News Asia BioNTech said on Thursday (Dec 22) it had shipped 11,500 doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to China to be administered initially to German expatriates, marking the first foreign coronavirus vaccines to be sent to the country. BioNTech said the delivery, which landed in China on Wednesday, contained both the original COVID-19 vaccine targeting the original strain of the coronavirus, and its updated vaccine targeting the BA.4/BA.5 subvariants of Omicron. "The arrival of the vaccine doses on the Chinese Mainland is a great milestone for us as joint partners with Fosun Pharma and our efforts to address this pandemic," said Sean Marett, BioNTe…

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Chinese charter-group tours to Thailand remain banned for now because of Beijing’s ongoing anti-covid crackdown. But the Civil Aviation Administration of China notes that scheduled flights between Bangkok and principal Chinese cities have now achieved 70 percent of the frequency prior to the pandemic. Meanwhile, Chinese health bureaucrats are working on plans to soften the country’s “dynamic zero” covid policy. They propose cancelling the unpopular policy of fining airlines which bring infected passengers into the country and also replacing compulsory quarantine for arrivals in hotels or state facilities by unsupervised home iso…

Taiwan has finally lifted all restrictions to entry - just in time for the Gay Pride Parade on Saturday 29th. The only requirement now is self testing during the first week and test kits are supplied on entry. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/13/taiwan-opens-borders-to-tourists-as-restrictions-eased-after-25-years

From CNN (CNN) — Hong Kong attracted around 56 million visitors a year before the pandemic, and now the popular destination is taking significant steps to win tourists back after over two years of some of the world's toughest travel restrictions. Just days after dropping its longstanding mandatory hotel quarantine requirement, Hong Kong has confirmed plans to give away half a million airline tickets in a bid to boost tourism. The move, first announced two years ago, was confirmed to CNN by a spokesperson from the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), which said that the 500,000 tickets, worth around $254.8 million, would go to global visitors, along with…

From Channel News Asia Wang Yandong (left) gave up on what was 'unattainable', while Li Xiaolin wants to do what makes him comfortable. BEIJING: Li Xiaolin leads a “tedious” life. He goes to work at his uncle’s vehicle inspection factory at 9am, six days a week. After completing his tasks — checking for mechanical faults like worn tyres or fuel leaks — he’s headed home by 5pm to eat and sleep. If his boss tells him to do something, he might say: “Can I do it tomorrow?” “Can you ask someone else to do it?” “Can I not do it?” BEIJING: Li Xiaolin leads a “tedious” life. He goes to work at his uncle’s vehicle inspection factory at 9am, six days a we…

From Channel News Asia HONG KONG: Hong Kong has announced that it will end mandatory hotel quarantine from Monday (Sep 26), ending some of the world's toughest travel curbs that have battered the economy and kept the finance hub globally isolated for the past two-and-a-half years. All international arrivals will be able to return home or to the accommodation of their choice but will have to self-monitor for three days after entering the city. They will be allowed to go to work or school but will not be allowed to enter bars or restaurants for the period, under a system authorities have dubbed "0+3". "Under this arrangement, the quarantine hotel system…