The Badlands: Decadent Playground of Old Peking

The Badlands chronicles the history of a notorious district in 1930s Beijing, a zone of brothels, opium dens, gambling parlors and criminal enterprises. This small patch of the city attracted foreign diplomats, wealthy Chinese, criminals, and those seeking escape from conventional society. French reconstructs daily life in the Badlands through police reports, newspaper accounts, memoirs, and official documents of the era. The book follows key figures who shaped the district, from American madams to Russian gangsters to Chinese warlords who controlled various establishments and activities. The shifting politics of China during this period provide crucial context, as the Badlands operated in a unique gray zone between Chinese and foreign control. Details of architecture, entertainment, fashion, and social customs paint a complete picture of this unique time and place. This historical account examines themes of colonialism, cultural collision, and human nature in times of political upheaval and moral ambiguity. The Badlands serves as a microcosm of larger forces at work in pre-war China.

Readers found this book illuminates a lesser-known chapter of 1930s Beijing history, with detailed accounts of the brothels, drug dens, and criminal enterprises in the Badlands district. Likes: - Rich historical research and period photographs - Vivid descriptions of locations and personalities - Connections between the criminal underworld and international politics - Clear mapping of the old neighborhood's geography Dislikes: - Some sections read like lists of names and places - Limited perspective beyond Western expat experiences - Several readers wanted more personal stories from Chinese residents - Short length (under 100 pages) Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (84 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (31 ratings) Review quotes: "Fascinating slice of forgotten history but feels incomplete" - Goodreads reviewer "Like a historical true crime story meets travelogue" - Amazon reviewer "Would have benefited from more Chinese voices and perspectives" - LibraryThing review

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🏮 The Badlands district was nicknamed the "Chicago of the East" due to its high concentration of organized crime and vice establishments in the 1920s and 1930s. 🏮 Author Paul French spent over a decade researching Shanghai and Beijing's criminal underworld, uncovering previously unpublished police reports and diplomatic correspondence. 🏮 The area's most notorious madam, Marie-Louise Bertaud, ran a high-end brothel that catered to both Chinese and Western clientele, including diplomats and military officers. 🏮 During this period, the Badlands operated in a unique legal grey area, as it fell under the jurisdiction of multiple authorities: Chinese, Japanese, and various foreign concessions. 🏮 The district's infamous White Russian cabaret dancers were often former aristocrats who fled the Russian Revolution, creating a surreal culture where displaced nobility performed in seedy nightclubs.