China's sex tourism as women's way of saving themselves from loneliness.
How do you imagine a Chinese woman? Most likely you'll say that she's humble, cute, shy, naïve, a bit infantile. And such description is correct not only for young girls. Aged Asians are very delicate and soft as well. This is explained by the Chinese mentality and rich history that puts women into secondary roles: household keepers and aesthetic pleasure triggers.
In the modern society self-established culture of the Celestial country has been mixing with wild Western trends. However, the grace, delicacy and caution of Eastern women remain a significant feature of Chinese society. Nevertheless you should not think that all Chinese girls are solely cute. As they say, still waters run deep.
Not long time ago Chinese media have published a lot of articles concerning Chinese women conducting sex tours from mainland China to Taiwan. The truth about big groups of female Chinese tourists going to Taipei (Taiwan's capital) for escort services and recreation with young Taiwan males spread all over China. However, this phenomenon is common only for wealthy women, such as wives of people of high-standing clerks, big corporations' presidents and businessmen, who obviously have money for that kind of leisure.
The reason for this kind of activity taking place in Taiwan seems really logical: high-standing women are simply afraid of being recognized in mainland China where they have a lot of relatives, acquaintances, and where yellow press can easily find out about such "adventures". They are afraid to lose their status (this is called丢面子, or "losing one's face") which is really important in the Celestial society, so they head towards Taiwan. According to Chinese women's opinion, nobody can recognize them there, so they are able to rest for a few days in a pleasant company of young Taiwanese.
Taiwanese themselves reacted to the growing tendency really fast and created everything for successful business. Chinese women just need to call a "special tourist agency" which will plan their trip to Taiwan completely: in addition to booking flights, hotels, covering various needs of a tourist who seeks new experiences, these agencies plan dinners, amusing events, and also tourist prostitution. Taiwanese boys can be chosen in a special catalog on website. Such characteristics as height, weight and features of character are listed for each boy on the catalog along with his photos.
In one of the interviews for regional media Taiwanese representative of sex tourism, or 旅游秘书 (tourism secretary), A Hun said that wealthy women often acquit themselves ill: have high demands towards young men, talk down to them, get drunk and vent anger on them. Young man also adds that his alikes have to put up with various mockery and carry out the most unusual whims of rich women, e.g. licking their toes and giving them foot massage using tongue. "You just have to endure", says young Chinese. He also clearly states that during the "reception" young men have to perform an act, such as pretend to be all passionate and do everything the woman wants.
A Hun confesses that he started this job because he couldn't find anything better. That is also the reason his colleagues are involved in escort services.
During the interview he also recalled that once he was with one 30-year-old woman who complained that she was feeling lonely. She asked to escort her for a week, go out for walks every day and also spend every night with her, obviously. When she was asked why does she need escort services and why is she hiding in Taipei, she answered that "looking for a lover in mainland China is really difficult and dangerous but that is not the case with Taiwan – there's a company that's responsible for all this, so this is more reliable".
Everyone in Taipei is already used to seeing a strange couple: an aged woman and a young man. Those who are around don't question why and what for they are together because it's an established phenomenon. All is for money and pleasure. Nothing personal, just business.
Tatiana Trukhina
