here's the website of the hero-like massage place:
Why Not Bodytalk

no idea why they photo-shop the photos of the massage guys. most (not all) are cute or hot in real life and don't need photoshopping.

i don't translate Chinese addresses, because it makes no sense. if u are to find any of these places, u need to have an address in chinese. the best way is to show the address to a taxi driver.

u can apply for a prc visa in the states or in hk (i guess). i've never had problems getting a prc visa in hk. u'd need to wait a few days for it and, yes, u'd need a photo (or 2) to attach with the application form.

pick any 3*up hotel in shenzhen using agoda.com or any other hotel booking service.

no, i never took anyone to my hotel room, mainly because i go to shenzhen just for one night (from hk), and usually don't sleep much during that night.

u can go to shenzhen from hk by train. it takes about 40 minutes and service runs until midnight.

heard horrifying stories about chinese male prostitutes pretending to be 'normal' guys and then in the morning attempting to extort money from 'clients'. it's safer and easier to hook up in the sauna.

those chinese who speak english will insist on speaking english to u even if u happen to speak chinese.

Shenzhen is full of massage parlours and saunas for fun. But prostitution is illegal there. Don't bring anyone back to ur room, anything goes wrong, the police would not be on ur side. Don't forget China is a communist country, the governemnt has the final say.

Just have fun in the saunas or massage parlours, as long as you pay the agreed price, the owners of these places will take care of u as they don't want to be accused of operating a brothel.

A most interesting & welcum development...

I was in HK this past wkd .. haven't been in almost 8 years and went to the saunas there for the 1st time. Both are in the TST area:

Galaxy: $56 HK ... a not so clean, old sauna with a VERY wide mix of guys .. I paid when I got there which is not the usual practice I guess as the front desk guy (later shift) started screaming at me for not paying when I left.

ABC: $130. Pricey but clean and small place. Less than 10 guys when I came but managed to hook up with 2 cute muscle btms :)

-- Further to my a/m. posting: I'm looking-at say *** acc'n. in SHENZHEN on behalf of my Enthusiastic & American Friend & of myself.
- I've availed of Search-engine Google, (entered; SHENZHEN - for gay visitors.), and continued-on for some half-a-dozen pages. Plenty of hotels but few if any worthwhile first hand reports.
- I've looked-at, too,:
> China hotels – Find & book cheap China hotels on China Travel <
> http://www.gayscout.com/queerlife/ <

-- Would any Gentle Reader who has stayed o'night. in any of SHENZHEN's hotels care to give us his own & fist hand rpts. of hotel acc'n. there?
- Thanks in advance. :)

I've been to Shenzhen (on business) and the place has almost no redeeming features whatsoever. It is ugly, crowded, polluted, unfriendly, and has zero history or culture.

I can't really see traveling there for a couple dingy saunas and massage parlors...but I may be in the minority!

Whilst I haven't done the sex venues, I agree with comments re Shenzen city. Hotels would be cheap c/f HK, but language/ communication would be a REAL problem. KL or Singapore are better alternatives to BKK if you need to escape the Songkran mayhem :)

-- Khun Icon & Biggles thank you for yr. replies; as there remains plenty of time before next year's Songkran fest'l. we'll see if any MORE replies will be forthcuming?
- But would tend to think, from having read what you've written, that SHENZHEN might be better for just a day's visit? In wch. case we'll have to look-at the cost of the req'd. visas and so on, and then decide on viability?

I think the main cost (for a day visit) would be the hotels in HK !! The train to Shenzen takes 40 mins and costs next to nothing. When you exit the chinese end of the train station, you are right in the middle of the city which then stretches in either direction clinging to the border. Not sure about visa cost - I have an APEC card so travel throughout Asia Pacific (inc Thailand) visa free :)

-- I wouldn't disagree with yr. assessment of hotel's costs in HK.!
- Having availed of search-engine Google and entered 'APEC Card.' I can well see its advantages for an on-business & frequent traveller.

I dare say that this is a somewhat outdated view of shenzhen. the city's certainly not ugly if one likes modern cities. it has little history. agree. afterall, it didn't exist 30 years ago! lots of moneyed class people from hk now travel to shenzhen on a regular basis (which they didn't do just a few years back). on my recent trip, my companion spotted a second (or third or whatever) wife of one of hk's very prominent businessman.

it makes no sense to visit shenzhen just to go to saunas. but it's a great place for a day or two. food is good (and priced at the same level as food in bkk). shopping is good too. regular massage is cheaper than in bkk.

people are in general friendly and many really want to practice english.

I visited Shenzen with a business associate recently. He went crazy in the shops around the station buying copy I-Pads, phones and watches and announced his proud purchases to our Chinese client. The client looked at my friend as if he was crazy and said "oh no, we go to HK for our shopping - everything here is junk !"

Anyway I now have a copy I-pad, 2 phones and 3 watches I didn't need - but it was fun and they took our money with a big smile :)

I will doing a return trip to HK in Oct/Nov .. can another suggest some other saunas to go to the TST, central areas? Been only to Galaxy and ABC .. Thnx

go to Towel Club in Causewaybay: a higher than usual number of caucasians visiting the place suggests the presence of some potato queens.
in Central, Central Escalator specializes in rice/potato market.