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Two unmarried people take part in a Singles Day party in Beijing on Monday. But not everyone is so happy about being single — some Chinese woman are booking fake boyfriends to bring to holiday parties.
Ladies in China are looking for a man they can take home to meet their parents, and they are even willing to pay for that opportunity.
Young Chinese women are renting fake boyfriends to accompany them to family functions to appease their nagging relatives, the online newspaper People's Daily reported.
Anxious parents worry that their daughters will become what the Chinese state media refers to as "leftover women," if they aren't married by their late 20s. Bringing a clean-cut young man along eliminates questions about their love lives and reminders that they aren't getting any younger.
Hundreds of temporary boyfriends and girlfriends offer their services on online retailer Taobao, according to People's Daily. And business booms around the Chinese Lunar New Year, which starts on Jan. 30.
The bogus beaus can cost anywhere from 500 to 8,000 yuan ($82-$1,313) per day. Some have set price tags for activities: A shopping trip is 30 yuan (about $5) while a kiss, along with "a free embrace, free hand-holding and a free goodbye kiss on the cheek or forehead" will cost you 50 yuan (about $8)
One rent-a-boyfriend said he charges 800 yuan ($131) per day for a minimum of three days. And the "employer" is expected to pay for transportation, meals and housing, according to People's Daily.
The fake couple usually exchanges photos and meets before the event to figure out what the fake boyfriend's backstory and decide how they fell in love.
There are also rental girlfriends, but Shanghaiist reports that it is "considered more sensitive and can be 'dangerous.'"
Read more: http://www.nydailynews
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