big read[Big read] Paying for pleasure: Chinese women indulge in handsome male hosts
From theme parks to mountain climbs, Chinese women are paying handsome male hosts for hugs, spins and close-up attention — indulging fantasies, seeking comfort, and turning male charm into a booming industry. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting speaks with the men offering these services.
At a theme park in China, a female tourist who goes by the pseudonym Xiaoya made full use of her single minute of personal time with a beloved NPC (non-player character), packing in seven intimate interactions — finger-hooking, a spin hug, a waltz, a round of rock–paper–scissors, a touch of foreheads, a chin lift, and, finally, a jump hug.
A sensory experience with emotional value
The term “NPC” originates in video games, where it originally referred to virtual characters. In real-world tourist attractions, it is now used more broadly to describe performers who engage in immersive interactions with visitors. The NPC that Xiaoya is particularly fond of is Xiaobi (pseudonym). Standing 1.88 metres tall and weighing 82 kilograms, his half-unbuttoned shirt reveals a well-defined, muscular physique.
Over the past three months, Xiaoya has visited the theme park to see Xiaobi at least ten times. She told Lianhe Zaobao, “He always fulfils my requests. He’s so cheery and strong, and manages to bring a positive energy to my experience while always being respectful — like a dependable older brother who makes one feel at ease.”
Attractive NPCs like Xiaobi have surged in popularity across Chinese theme parks over the last year or so. Many attractions are recruiting dashing men to draw crowds, offering close-up interactions designed to provide both emotional value and a sensory experience. From theme parks to mountain scenic spots, China’s cultural tourism sector is spending more on male hosts as they become increasingly visible across diverse settings — emerging as a new driver of female consumption and a growing source of buzz.
“Don’t worry, you don’t need to do anything, just trust me.” With that, Xiaobi bent down, lifted her effortlessly and spun her gently, drawing a smile from the guest, who covered her face shyly.
Xiaobi is among the more popular NPCs at the theme park. A former fitness content creator, he was invited to join the attraction as a hunky male NPC personality and has gradually found special meaning in his work.
One of his most requested interactions is the “princess carry”, which is available to all guests. At times Xiaobi wears period costume, other times he goes shirtless, and he never refuses a guest regardless of their weight. During holidays, he may carry a hundred or so people in a single day, holding each for about 10 to 20 seconds.
“It can be very tiring indeed, but the visitors appreciate my effort and that makes me very happy,” Xiaobi said when interviewed.
He also has his way of handling female guests who fret over their weight. Once, Xiaobi encountered a larger woman who was somewhat hesitant about asking for a “princess carry” even though she seemed to want one.
So, he approached, took her arm, and reassured her, “Don’t worry, you don’t need to do anything, just trust me.” With that, Xiaobi bent down, lifted her effortlessly and spun her gently, drawing a smile from the guest, who covered her face shyly.
The NPCs offer various themed interactions beyond the “princess carry”. According to a report by the WeChat account “Meirirenwu” (每日人物), one NPC plays a “domineering CEO” character to enact a “wall pin” — pressing a visitor against a wall and quickly leaning in close to create a charged atmosphere. This particular NPC can perform the move for up to 300 visitors a day, predominantly women.
Xiaobi noticed that many female visitors are quite proactive and forthright during these interactions. “They will ask directly for a ‘princess carry’. It’s a good thing that people are braver about expressing what they want, and they approach it with a more open, confident mindset.”
Nonetheless, his fan Xiaoya is aware that such interactions must be based on mutual respect. She shared that her interactions with Xiaobi are strictly confined to the park grounds, and she does not attempt to contact him privately. “It’s good that women are more courageous in expressing themselves, but it’s also important to be mindful of boundaries.”
“I can carry you and your backpack. Climb with me to fulfil your emotional needs and become the happiest woman.” — Promotional slogan from climbing companion Fang Dashuai
Boyfriends-for-a-day carry bags and piggyback female guests
At many scenic spots in mountains across China, a growing army of climbing companions, typically young men, offers female visitors an alternative form of enjoyment beyond the majestic views.
Climbing companions for hire first gained traction at Shandong’s Mount Tai in 2023 before becoming popular in many mountain scenic spots across China over the past two years. The service providers are young men who carry bags, take photos, assist clients up and down the mountain, and sometimes even give them piggyback rides to the summit. Some even position themselves as boyfriends-for-a-day, promising emotional companionship.
Fang Yijia, 25, is a climbing companion at Jiangxi’s Mount Wugong. He previously worked in the internet sector, but due to industry uncertainty and his love for the outdoors, he switched careers to become a climbing companion last May.
Most of Fang’s clients are women, and he is well aware of the importance of having an eye-catching physique, hence his social media handle of “Fang Dashuai 180 (outdoor abs edition)” (Fang Dashuai literally means ‘handsome Fang’). His promotional copy reads: I can carry you and your backpack. Climb with me to fulfil your emotional needs and become the happiest woman.
... she requested to be carried all the way up the mountain. For this, she paid a higher fee of 1,000 RMB (US$140).
In June, 26-year-old model, Dalin, hired a climbing companion to experience the privilege of climbing Mount Tai without her feet touching the ground.
When interviewed, Dalin said that she had no prior hiking experience, so she requested to be carried all the way up the mountain. For this, she paid a higher fee of 1,000 RMB (US$140). She explained, “I honestly couldn’t have made it on my own.”
That night, her hiking companion carried the 40-kilogram Dalin on his back and spent nearly five hours climbing over 7,000 steps so that she could summit the 1,500-metre-tall mountain effortlessly and in time for sunrise. Dalin said, “I was praising him all the way. He worked really hard to earn the money; it’s like manual labour.”
She laughed and said, “My friends keep teasing me that I’m not even treating him like a human being.”
This service concept of pampering female clients like princesses has also appeared in other cultural tourism experiences targeting the demographic. In Chinese cities such as Chongqing and Chengdu, motorcycle photoshoots have gained popularity over the last two years. Service users ride pillion with male bikers on the streets to experience the wind and thrill. At the same time, moves like “lifted hug” can also be staged to produce romantic video footage.
Other than tourist attractions, there is also a significant market for male appeal in the performing arts. Since 2024, the Russian dance drama “Show in the Rain” has been staged in numerous Chinese cities. Featuring male dancers with bare torsos performing in artificial rain, the show has attracted hordes of female viewers and generated plenty of social media discussion on the performers’ physique.
As male-charm experiences go mainstream, such spending is becoming increasingly common and accepted.
“... men are increasingly becoming a “commodity” for consumption, with the male body consequently becoming an object of the female gaze.” — Professor Song Geng, Hong Kong University
Professor Song Geng who studies gender issues at the Hong Kong University (HKU) School of Chinese, pointed out when interviewed that as women enjoy a higher social status and consumerism gains popularity, men are increasingly becoming a “commodity” for consumption, with the male body consequently becoming an object of the female gaze.
Song noted that in traditional Confucian culture, women’s expression of sexuality was far more restricted. While men who openly expressed desire might also face criticism, women who did so often faced harsher moral judgement. Ultimately, social power dynamics underpins the freedom to openly express desire.
As such dynamics shift, women — particularly urban ones — are gradually gaining greater agency in both intimate relationships and self-expression.
Spending on male hosts started in 1990s
Associate Professor Wu Changchang from East China Normal University (ECNU)’s School of Communication noted that the host economy in China has its origins in the beginning of the country’s market economy transformation in the 1990s.
Wu commented that urban Chinese females gained greater spending power to start expressing their fondness for males openly — from supporting Korean male idol groups to spending on handsome hosts at cultural tourism attractions, the underlying consumer logic is the same.
The only difference is the increased intimacy connected with such spending today. Wu explained that while male pop idols keep a distance from their fans, NPCs have no qualms about making physical contact with female visitors.
Wu analysed, “This is typical of emotional commodification: men using physical capital to engage women in acts of physical intimacy for economic capital within certain ethical boundaries.”
In doing so, women gain some temporary sense of security. “At the very least, they are assured of emotional gratification during the time they paid for,” he said.
Even though such services involve money, at times it can be difficult to draw a clear line between feelings and transactions, so it is no surprise that some develop real feelings.
Fang also let on that he has had clients confess their feelings for him after their trips and hoped to stay in contact, but he always turns them down politely.
Fang, the climbing companion, shared that one of his masterstrokes involves bringing a basin along for the hike. He would not reveal the purpose of the basin to his clients in the beginning, but when it is time to rest at night, he fills it up with hot water for them to soak their feet. “They would be very touched and pleasantly surprised.”
Fang also let on that he has had clients confess their feelings for him after their trips and hoped to stay in contact, but he always turns them down politely. Citing his service mantra, he explained, “I want to do better than their boyfriends, but I cannot fall in love with them.”
A single, he confessed, “Falling in love is very easy, but marriage is a big issue. I don’t want to spend time on a romantic relationship yet.”
Boost to consumption but grey areas invite questions
While hiring handsome NPCs to perform “princess carries”, “wall pins”, and fake kisses has helped tourist attractions boost revenue and provided visitors with sensory excitement and emotional value, it has also invited questions about the ethicality of such services.
After Dalin shared on social media about her experience of hiring a climbing companion during her trip to Mount Tai in June, she received many derisive comments from netizens: “Shy about hiring a KTV host, but this is just another way of taking advantage”, “Would a decent person hire a climbing companion?”, “What has the world come to? The goddess of Mount Tai would punish them if she saw them”.
Based on some of the public comments, services provided by climbing companions and NPCs lack clear rules. With vague boundaries on appropriate interaction and liability, disputes related to sexual harassment can easily arise.
In the traditional narrative, masculinity is linked to national strength and men are constantly reminded of the need to “act like men”. Under this framework, the male body is not meant to be an object to be gazed upon.
A Jimu News commentary noted that competition among climbing companions has led to “unwelcome tendencies” with an overemphasis on male appeal undermining the profession’s purpose and reputation. It called for societal acceptance of the role while stressing that practitioners respect social norms and ethical boundaries.
HKU’s Song opines that some of the pushback may stem from deeply ingrained social expectations towards males. In the traditional narrative, masculinity is linked to national strength and men are constantly reminded of the need to “act like men”. Under this framework, the male body is not meant to be an object to be gazed upon.
At another level, there are also concerns over the impact of the host economy on romantic relationships and even marriage views.
Rational response instead of blanket restrictions
ECNU’s Wu used the recent rise of “Otome games” (video games with a romance theme that targets the female audience) in China to illustrate. The interactive romance genre has encouraged an increasing number of women to start romantic relationships with handsome virtual boyfriends who text regularly, wish them goodnight, and offer constant care and attention, thereby fostering emotional attachment.
Wu added, “The woman feels very safe. She spent money in exchange for a sense of security, the virtual boyfriend always responds to her needs. So, she is not so needy of a real-life emotional relationship, and the virtual one may even supersede her actual emotional needs.”
While there is some controversy over the male host economy, both ECNU’s Wu and HKU’s Song called for a rational response instead of regulations or blanket restrictions.
“... for a long time, it was women providing services to men. Why shouldn’t men be able to do the same for women in return?” — Song
Speaking from a gender psychoanalytic perspective, Wu explained that the rise of the male host economy shows that Chinese society is expending pent-up energy, a process for women to satisfy their libidos. “Blocking this avenue may result in more social aggression.”
Articulating the multi-faceted nature of the male host economy, Song said, “Some find it morally corrupting and are unable to accept men peddling their looks to please women, taking this as a sign of societal decline. But from a feminist viewpoint, this may amount to some sort of gender equality — for a long time, it was women providing services to men. Why shouldn’t men be able to do the same for women in return?”
Another avenue of employment for youths
As China’s youth unemployment rates climb in recent years, emerging jobs like climbing companion and tourist attraction NPC have provided many young men with unconventional jobs.
The biggest attraction for them is the somewhat considerable income and lack of academic requirements. High school graduate Fang told me that he charges 600 to 800 RMB per climbing trip. Even though competition among the hundred or so climbing companions making a living at Mount Wugong is intense, it is not difficult to earn more than 10,000 RMB a month as long as he is willing to work.
Fang candidly said that in comparison, some factory jobs only offer monthly salaries of 4,000 to 5,000 RMB. “How is that enough to live on? So, some student athletes try out as climbing companions,” he said.
“Businesses have sniffed out the opportunity in this form of female consumption, and these men have also realised that they can be commoditised.” — Associate Professor Wu Changchang, East China Normal University
Even though this is a gig economy job without institutional safeguards, Fang is unfazed. He said, “Even a sales job can be insecure. As for working in electronics manufacturing, which is supposedly more secure, how different are the workers from robots?”
For NPC Bengbeng, his job has given him the opportunity to gradually expand his fanbase.
He shared that a short-form drama director recently approached him. “If there’s a chance to explore other areas, I’m happy to give it a go for the experience,” he shared.
ECNU’s Wu noted that given China’s economic uncertainties, more youths are prioritising money-making over emotional needs, especially in the post-pandemic era.
Unlike the previous generation, quite a number of Chinese men today are less bothered by whether they are “selling their bodies” as they pragmatically adapt to market realities. Wu said, “Businesses have sniffed out the opportunity in this form of female consumption, and these men have also realised that they can be commoditised.”
This article was first published in Lianhe Zaobao as “文旅美男计明码标价 世俗争议中撩动芳心”.
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