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The work of a New York photographer who captured Taiwan’s so-called ‘betel nut beauties’ wearing lingerie and selling fruit has become a hot topic.
Betel nut is a chewing fruit commonly eaten in India, China, and Southeast Asia, and is known to have stimulant and addictive effects and to cause oral cancer.
On the 23rd (local time), CNN introduced photographer Constanze Hahn’s photo series ‘Betel Nut Beauty’ released last month.
CNN reported that since the late 1960s, a culture of female salespeople wearing revealing outfits at street vendors selling betel nuts has been established in Taiwan.
‘Betel nut beauties’ are hired to solicit customers.
Ms. Meng Xuan, who became the model in the work, told CNN, “I have been working as a ‘betel nut beauty’ since I was 16,” and emphasized, “The most important thing to achieve sales goals is appearance.”
He also said that he earns about $670 (920,000 won) a month by selling betel nuts. Considering that the starting salary for Taiwanese college graduates is 1.35 million won per month, this is a considerable amount.
CNN said that the sight of women wearing revealing clothes in glass booths may resemble a brothel, but the ‘betel nut beauties’ have nothing to do with prostitution.
Molly, a 24-year-old woman who said it has been 5 months since she sold betel nuts, explained, “The ‘betel beauties’ do not engage in prostitution,” and added, “They do not leave the booth except to sell the fruit.”
Photographer Constanze Hahn said in an interview with Dazed, a fashion and culture media outlet, on the 11th of last month, “When I became a photographer, I had the idea of taking photos of ‘betel nut beauties.’ I wanted to capture a unique Taiwanese feel, so I took pictures last summer. “When I returned to Taiwan, the beauty of betel nuts was the first thing that came to mind,” he said.
