those 300 with the most lovely xiao mei meis would then enter the imperial inner chambers for one year. the chosen 1000 would then undergo inspection of their private parts (nice job for an imperial judge). the imperial judges would then competively choose one third of these for superiour beauty and the 2000 not chosen would be sent back home. perhaps 3000 of the most lovely angels 'under heaven' would arrive. during the mid qing dynasty (maybe 140 years ago, just before our civil war), the emperors upon coming of age, would order the local provincial governors to send hundreds of beautiful women to the capital to be considered as his concubines.

but it goes beyond the lack of inhibiting religious factors. check the afghanistan board to see how many pros are available in kabul. poverty brings the price down as asndragon points out but there is also poverty in mexico where, despite legalization of prostitution, sex is not so easy to obtain especially from non pros. ' these are the major reasons that sex is more available in china than in mexico or afghanistan. the history and culture of china are 'spared the pernicious influence of christianity and islam.