Naughty shows at the edge of metropolises

Amid sustained crackdowns on prostitution, pornography and related vices, a few "erotic" live shows have become the latest targets in suburban communities in Shanghai, according to recent reports in the local press.

Several performing venues in Songjiang in southwestern Shanghai were uncovered as offering scantily clad women in provocative dances. One, called "Jinhui Entertainment Plaza", charged a 45 yuan ($7) entrance fee and had half a dozen heavily made-up women singing and dancing. Zhang Guohua, a local policeman, said the shows featured sexually explicit content and would include a few minutes of half or total nudity within each section.

What's amazing, said the reports, is the demographics of the audience: They are mostly middle-aged and elderly men who work or reside in the vicinity.