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A red-light district is a neighborhood where prostitution
Prostitution

The word prostitution is used to indicate:1. The exposing or otherwise offering oneself or someone else with the purpose of tempting potential customers to exchange money or goods for the promise of cooperativeness in sexual intercourse from the exposed person;...
 and other businesses in the sex industry
Sex industry

The sex industry is the term given to the industry commercial enterprises which employ sex workers in various capacities, generally relating to what is described as adult entertainment which includes erotica, as it comprises a number of forms of entertainment not considered suitable for children....
 flourish. The term "red-light district" was first recorded in the United States in 1894, in an article in The Sentinel, a newspaper in Milwaukee. Other mentions from the 1890s are numerous, and located all over the United States.

The origin of the "red light" term is considered to be the red lanterns carried by railway workers (which were left outside brothels when the workers entered, so that they could be quickly located for any needed train movement) or the red paper lanterns
Paper lantern

Paper lanterns come in various shapes and sizes, as well as various methods of construction. The easiest form, is simply a paper bag with a candle placed inside, although more complicated lanterns consist of a collapsible bamboo or metal frame of hoops, covered with tough paper....
 (which were thought to be sensual) that were hung outside brothels in ancient China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 to identify them as such.






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A red-light district is a neighborhood where prostitution
Prostitution

The word prostitution is used to indicate:1. The exposing or otherwise offering oneself or someone else with the purpose of tempting potential customers to exchange money or goods for the promise of cooperativeness in sexual intercourse from the exposed person;...
 and other businesses in the sex industry
Sex industry

The sex industry is the term given to the industry commercial enterprises which employ sex workers in various capacities, generally relating to what is described as adult entertainment which includes erotica, as it comprises a number of forms of entertainment not considered suitable for children....
 flourish. The term "red-light district" was first recorded in the United States in 1894, in an article in The Sentinel, a newspaper in Milwaukee. Other mentions from the 1890s are numerous, and located all over the United States.

The origin of the "red light" term is considered to be the red lanterns carried by railway workers (which were left outside brothels when the workers entered, so that they could be quickly located for any needed train movement) or the red paper lanterns
Paper lantern

Paper lanterns come in various shapes and sizes, as well as various methods of construction. The easiest form, is simply a paper bag with a candle placed inside, although more complicated lanterns consist of a collapsible bamboo or metal frame of hoops, covered with tough paper....
 (which were thought to be sensual) that were hung outside brothels in ancient China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 to identify them as such. The color red has been associated with prostitution for millennia; in the Biblical story of Rahab
Rahab

Rahab, was, according to the book of Joshua, a woman who lived in the city of Jericho in the Promised Land and originally worked as a prostitute....
, a prostitute in Jericho
Jericho

Jericho is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate, and has a population of over 20,000 Arabs....
, aided the spies of Joshua and identified her house with a scarlet rope, which saved her household from the massacre that a successfully besieged city usually suffered. During World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
, there were many brothels in Belgium
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
 and France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
; blue lights were used to indicate brothels for officers
Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an Armed forces who holds a position of authority.Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereignty power and, as such, hold a Letters patent charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position....
, red lights for other ranks
Other Ranks

Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called Naval ratings....
.

One of the many terms used for a red-light district in Japanese
Japanese language

IPA: [n?iho?go] is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is related to the Ryukyuan languages....
 is , literally meaning "red-line", apparently of independent origins from the English term
Redlining

Redlining is the practice of denying or increasing the cost of services such as banking, insurance, access to jobs, access to health care, or even supermarkets to residents in certain, often racially determined, areas....
. Japanese police drew a red line on maps to indicate the boundaries of legal red-light districts. They also have the term , meaning "blue-line", for a non-legal district. In different cultures red-light districts are identified differently, the most common being "district of prostitutes"

See also

  • List of red-light districts
    List of red-light districts

    A list of world red-light districts....
  • Sex tourism
    Sex tourism

    Sex tourism is travel to engage in sexual intercourse or sexual activity with Prostitution, and is typically undertaken internationally by tourists from wealthier countries....
  • Gropecunt Lane
    Gropecunt Lane

    Gropecunt Lane was a street name used in English language towns and cities in the Middle Ages for streets where prostitutes conducted their business....
  • De Wallen
    De Wallen

    De Wallen is the largest and best-known red-light district in Amsterdam and a major tourist attraction. It is located in the heart of the oldest part of Amsterdam, covering several blocks south of the church Oude Kerk and crossed by several canals....
  • Soho
    Soho

    Soho is an area in the centre of the West End of London of London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is an entertainment district which for much of the later part of the 20th century had a reputation for its sex shops as well as its night life and film industry....
  • Ballyheigue
    Ballyheigue

    Ballyheigue is a coastal village in County Kerry in Ireland. It is approximately north of Tralee on the R551 road.It is a scenic resort town with many miles of beaches that connect to Banna Strand to the south, and Kerry Head to the north....