Editors' Note: Chinese New Year is all about family, and if you're in your mid to late 20s and you're not on your way to starting your own, it could make for an uncomfortable holiday. By 25, mothers are reminding their daughters their clock is ticking. However, brining a significant other home for mom and dad's approval is not easy in China's dating world, especially for men. There are many more men than women. In fact, by 2020, China is predicted to have 24 million men without a partner. For "bare branches", men who cannot provide financially for a wife, the chances of meeting a girl and brining her back home for Chinese New Year are quite discouraging. It's not surprising then that there is a market for fake girlfriends. In a country that rests on the foundations of family, being single is not an option. This translate article reports on the new trend of fake girlfriends.

The Spring Festival is approaching, and many older Chinese men and “leftover women,” do not want to go home to their parents without a partner. One solution is to “rent” a boyfriend or girlfriend for the holiday. The Spring Festival is the busiest time of year for this kind of business.

Renting a boyfriend or girlfriend for the Spring Festival holiday will cost a bachelor or bachelorette more than 3,000 Yuan. Henan TV investigated the phenomena by speaking with a matchmaking agency that makes the arrangements for holiday rentals. A Henan TV reporter went undercover to ask about arranging a fake girlfriend of his own for the holiday.   

Will You Fake Date Me?

A staff member from the matchmaking agency said that the base price for renting a girlfriend is 2,999 Yuan. She said that the price is adjusted depending on how long the fake partner must stay with the client’s family. Male clients, who make up the majority, can easily pick out the right girl for the job from thousands of profiles. However, they have about twenty or thirty regulars that often do the job.

There are rumors that some singles even hire partners to get married to them over Spring Festival. The matchmaking agency said that this is not real, and that they do not arrange fake marriages.

“Cohabiting is a Normal Thing”
The agency said that fake girlfriends are generally rented for 67 days and cost at least 3,000 to 4,000 Yuan. They added that all of the women that work for them are very pretty, and that they would live together with the clients. “If you hire a girlfriend for Spring Festival, you will both stay together during the night—but only if you are willing to spend the money. If you are cheap about it, it won’t work. Now, young men and women cohabiting together is a normal thing.”

The agency says they usually sign a contract with clients that can be changed or amended after seven days with additional services. If the fake girlfriend leaves earlier than planned, the agency does not refund the client. Women are allowed to receive tips or red envelops from their clients of about 300 to 400 Yuan. If a woman receives more than that, she is not allowed to keep the entire tip. 

The Rental Process
Clients usually pay a deposit, look a photos, select a woman, and then arrange to meet. The agency guarantees that they can find the right person for everyone. The deposit is returned once they meet the right woman. Contracts are not always used, but can be developed between the two parties if necessary.

There have been many problems in the recent years with fake boyfriends and girlfriends during the Spring Festival Period. The industry itself does not violate public order or morals, but attachments can develop and disputes can easily arise. The clients and fake partners in these cases, are often not protected by law, contract, or agency.

Source: Wenxue City

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Keywords: fake girlfriend China fake girlfriend Chinese New Year