Mong Shuan began selling betel nuts at the age of 16 as a way to earn money in northern Taiwan. She worked six days a week, earning around $670 a month, with a bonus for dressing provocatively to attract male customers. Vendors like Mong, known as “betel nut beauties,” are a common sight at neon-lit booths across Taiwan, where they slice open betel nuts, add slaked lime, and wrap them in a leaf to entice customers.
Photographer Constanze Han documented the betel nut beauties phenomenon by spending a month driving down the highway from Taipei to Kaohsiung, meeting the women along the way. Despite their initially provocative appearance, the women selling betel nuts are not involved in prostitution. Han’s project aimed to dispel stereotypes and showcase the reality of the women’s lives, highlighting their responsibility and level-headedness in a conservative culture like Taiwan’s.
Han’s interest in photographing women in unconventional jobs stems from her fascination with Susan Meiselas’ work depicting carnival strippers in the 1970s. She spent time getting to know her subjects before taking their photos, capturing small, quiet moments that reveal the mundane nature of the women’s work. The women would often change into more revealing clothes at their booths to increase sales, with some owners incentivizing them to dress sexier.
Despite concerns of exploitation, some women like Ju Ju, who was photographed wearing lingerie in her booth in Taoyuan, found stability and opportunities for advancement in the betel nut industry. While regulations have been implemented to address concerns of exploitation, the declining use of betel nuts in Taiwan may mean that the phenomenon of betel nut beauties could eventually cease to exist.
Han’s photos offer a glimpse into a unique aspect of Taiwanese life that may not be around for much longer. By portraying the women in a non-judgmental way, she hopes to spark curiosity about Taiwan and challenge preconceived notions about the betel nut beauties phenomenon. The project showcases the lives and experiences of these women, shedding light on a part of Taiwanese culture that may soon be lost to history.
