Boyfriend from a catalog — a new service is gaining popularity in China

As writes South China Morning Post, an unusual service is gaining popularity on Chinese social media: women hire male models to photograph with them as if they were real partners. It's not just a joint photo — a small story of romantic relationships is played out during the photoshoot.

The client can hold the man's hand, hug him, simulate a kiss, or touch his abs. The photographer guides the process and suggests how to create an impression of intimacy between the couple in the frame.

Such pleasure is not cheap. A one-hour photoshoot can cost 8000 yuan, which is approximately 1100 dollars. You can book a 30-minute session and invite a third participant.

Specialized studios have also appeared. For example, Mujiao studio in Nanjing calls itself the first in China to offer couple photoshoots with male models. The cheapest package there costs about 1000 dollars and includes nine processed photos. The most expensive — about 3900 dollars. For this money, the client gets a full day as a couple with several outfits and 120 photos.

Clients are offered a catalog of men where they can choose a partner based on appearance, height, and other parameters. The cost depends not only on the model's looks but also on his popularity on social media and his ability to pose in front of the camera.

Some clients come with their own scripts. They might ask to re-enact a specific scene from a novel or comic, or an entire story. For example, a couple's quarrel and subsequent reconciliation. Studios also offer ready-made scenarios: from innocent student infatuation to more sensual photoshoots.

Women's motivations vary. Some need beautiful photos for social media, others want to briefly experience being in a romantic relationship. Some women turn to this service because they have little experience in real romantic relationships and want to experience at least their imitation. Others come after a breakup.

There are also those who use the resulting photos to show their family a supposed boyfriend and avoid pressure with demands to marry sooner. Moreover, among the clients are not only single women. According to representatives of this business, the service is also used by women who already have partners or are married.

The market for paid companions

Photoshoots with a "boyfriend" are just one manifestation of a much broader phenomenon that has been dubbed the "paid companionship market" in China. A person no longer pays so much for a thing or a specific service, but rather for the presence of another person, attention, and what is often called "emotional value" in China.

Thus, for money, you can find someone to go to a restaurant with you, go for a run, or go on an excursion. Such services are often offered by students and young people looking for extra income.

"Hiking companions" have become particularly popular. For a few hundred yuan, a young man can go with a client into the mountains, carry her belongings, serve water, take photos, and provide support when she is tired.

This model has gone even further in popular role-playing games in China. In them, participants receive characters and play out a pre-written story for several hours.

In the romantic version of such a game, a woman can pay a male host, who becomes her lover according to the script for a few hours. He confesses his feelings to her, supports her, can hold her hand or hug her. Stories built around the idea of unconditional devotion are especially popular: the male character remains on the heroine's side in any circumstances.

Павялічыць

As researchers note, the popularity of such services is growing amidst noticeable changes in the personal lives of young Chinese people. People marry later, and the number of marriages in the country has significantly decreased in recent years. At the same time, more and more people live alone. This creates a demand for services that allow for companionship and emotional intimacy without long-term relationships.

And while some see this as a new field for business, others warn: if intimacy turns into a service, building real relationships may become even more difficult.

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