Chinese women spend top dollar on male model shoots for brief taste of love - South China Morning Post

Zoey ZhangPublished: 10:00am, 1 Oct 2026A growing number of young Chinese women are paying for romantic photo shoots with male models, seeking a brief taste of love through a novel form of emotional companionship.

This trend has gained significant traction on mainland social media, with customers spending up to 8,000 yuan (US$1,200) for an hour-long session featuring couple-style poses, including hand-holding, embraces, staged kisses, and even touching the models’ abdominal muscles.

In July, lifestyle blogger Xue Dinge spent 4,520 yuan on a 30-minute romantic photo shoot with two male models.

In a cosy studio setting, the photographer guided her and the models through intimate poses, including face-holding and forehead-to-forehead shots.