British "Daily Telegraph" article on February 19, original title: China's bodyguard craze rises as people hire private security to attract potential partners In China, thousands of ordinary people are hiring "bodyguards." However, they may not have any need for protection, but they may just want to impress a potential lover, or they may want their neighbors to take a good look at them. Data from the Taobao platform shows that the number of orders for bodyguard services before the Spring Festival in the Year of the Dragon increased fourfold year-on-year. Chinese media said that since the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, more than 10,000 people have placed orders for "private bodyguard" services on Taobao.
Before the Spring Festival, a young man in his 20s named "Xiao Ran" spent 1,500 yuan (RMB) a day to hire a strong bodyguard, who drove him from Beijing, the capital of China, to his hometown in Hebei. All to make his neighbors look at him differently. The bodyguard also took on other responsibilities such as carrying bags and holding umbrellas for "Xiao Ran", making people feel like he was a star.
's practice of hiring bodyguards to "prop up the scene" sparked controversy on social media, with some users criticizing "these young people only know how to show off." Others compare such services to the phenomenon of "renting a boyfriend," especially when women face pressure from their families to get married during the Chinese New Year. A woman said on Weibo: "I want to hire a boyfriend during the Spring Festival. I am not rich and can only afford 500 yuan a day. He wants to chat with me, be friendly to my relatives and friends, and pass cigarettes when we meet them." Tea."
In recent years, bodyguard services have become increasingly popular (in China) as ordinary people hire bodyguards for more practical roles, such as accompanying them on trips or protecting victims of domestic violence. One client of a bodyguard agency said she used the service to protect herself from a physical altercation with her ex-husband. She said: "My ex-husband and I were going through divorce disputes. He was tall and strong. I hired a bodyguard for a month to prevent him from taking away the children. When my ex-husband and I had conflicts, the bodyguards resolved the danger many times."
Another The client told how he hired a bodyguard to accompany him to a business meeting at a bar and praised the bodyguard's ability to drink. In another case, a man on vacation in Hangzhou hired a local bodyguard to take him around and chat. Another person who used such a service hired bodyguards to escort family members to the hospital for treatment if they did not want to.
In China's first and second tier cities, private bodyguards can arrive on site within 30 minutes after placing an order. Female bodyguards are also becoming more common in China. (Author Jenny Pan et al., translated by Ding Ding) ▲
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