"Rent a Boyfriend for 400 Won" Service Causes Stir in China
"400 Won for 45 Minutes" Shopping Mall Promotion Sparks Debate
'Fake Boyfriend' Rental Service Also Introduced
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eunha] On the 19th, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that a shopping mall in China introduced a boyfriend rental service.
A shopping center in Henan Province, China, offered a boyfriend rental service on February 14th to celebrate Valentine's Day. The price is 2.14 yuan (about 400 won) for 45 minutes.
The video of the 'Boyfriend Rental' service released online shows men dressed in black suits with QR codes attached, standing at the 'Boyfriend Experience' sales counter, waiting to be rented.
The shopping mall explained that the service was designed for single female customers who want to celebrate Valentine's Day. "If you scan the QR code and pay the fee, you can 'own' a man for the allocated time," they explained.
Women who choose a man they like, scan the QR code, and pay the dating fee can shop or dine with the man during the allotted time, but the activity is restricted to within the shopping center.
Opinions about the service are divided even within China. Some found it "interesting," while others reacted negatively, questioning, "Are you buying a boyfriend with money?"
This is not the first time a 'boyfriend rental' service has appeared in China. In 2017, a shopping center in Hainan Province in southern China offered a service where customers could hire a date for 1 yuan (about 200 won) per hour to spend Christmas together.
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There is also a service to rent a 'fake boyfriend' for family events such as holidays. The Chinese internet e-commerce site Taobao introduced products priced between 1,000 and 10,000 yuan (about 180,000 to 1,780,000 won) that provide a fake lover for a day. Women use this service to avoid their parents' nagging about "When will you get married?" in a culture that tends to avoid marriage.
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