China, like India, is a society that has many do’s and don’ts in the name of tradition. For years, women over 27 were considered unfit for marriage and were called leftover women in Chinese society, a by-product of the one-child policy. But it looks like the clock has turned a full circle.
Now, more and more Chinese men are opting for the ‘Rent a girlfriend’ concept by paying $145 a day to save face during family occasions, social outings, etc. The country has seen a sudden spike in websites where girls offer themselves on ‘rent’ as the men want to show that they have a girlfriend to avoid pressure from family and friends. In some cases, the men are gay and they want to show off a girl.
A website has been floated for this service. Usually, it’s a rather platonic understanding apart from the money involved. One girl confesses she made around $5800 a day during the Lunar New Year. Sometimes, the girls get to meet more than one person on a particular day. The charges add up as the time increases or if the girls are asked to do ‘something else’ like kissing or having sex.
Usually, the offering price for rent is 1000 yuan, with an additional 500 yuan upfront and another 350 yuan for travel. Well, times change, and so do societies and societal needs. While many Chinese young men ‘rent a girlfriend’, there are others who say they are better off confessing they are single!
