Sylvia Yu Friedman’s harrowing encounter in a Chinese red-light district in 2012 remains etched in her memory as a stark reminder of the perils she faced as a young journalist and filmmaker. Driven by a fervent desire to expose the dark underbelly of the sex trade, particularly the exploitation of underage girls, Friedman embarked on a perilous journey that nearly cost her life. The setting, a dimly lit alley on the outskirts of a southern Chinese city, exuded an aura of menace and despair. The low-slung building with its pink-tinged windows, the sad-eyed women in revealing attire, the menacing thugs, the incessant barking of vicious dogs – all conspired to create an atmosphere of palpable danger and unease. Friedman’s journalistic instincts, honed over years of reporting on sensitive issues, screamed at her to abandon the mission, but her determination to capture the truth overrode her better judgment.
A local frontline worker, familiar with the treacherous terrain, advised Friedman to adopt the guise of a tourist and discreetly film the scene with her mobile phone. However, Friedman’s intuition warned her that such a ruse was unlikely to succeed in this isolated and suspicious environment, where the presence of a female tourist was an anomaly. Ignoring the gnawing
