This essay focuses on the Bada Hutong, the historic red-light district in Beijing, and asks the public to consider the concept of contested heritage. It critically re-examines the current protection measures in place for this site, as well as the meaning of preservation. Cultural attitudes toward Bada Hutong expose an unwillingness to embrace narratives of contested heritage, including acceptance of complex historical narratives with a diverse range of actors and agency.

The thesis casts light on a film based on the Bada Hutong, and offers a preliminary understanding of the neighbourhood, both in the movie and in real life. While the Bada Hutong‘s history belongs to a social minority, this essay argues that there has been significant impact to both the past and present. The investigation is further informed by on-site observations, general opinions and the official interpretations that exist surrounding the site and its inhabitation. What, then, is the role of being a minority — a socially excluded pariah — within history? What role does gender play, and how is this interwoven with economic structures? An investigation of the Bada Hutong allows a re-thinking about the meaning of contested heritage, and challenges conventions regarding the preservation of such sites in China.