This Chinese man is so rich he is willing to shell out one million yuan (US $170,000) just to rent a girlfriend. The news was first reported on China’s leading social networking website, Weibo. The post came from an account called ‘Host of Henan newscast’.

Paying a girl to date you might give people the wrong idea, but this case appears to be different. According to the posting, the man wants to hire a girl just to accompany him to his family reunion during the upcoming Spring Festival. Perhaps he doesn’t want to be alone during the Chinese holidays?

The listing included a photograph of the dude, sitting behind a pile of cash. I suppose he wanted to go all out to prove that he is serious. He put up a list of requirements: the girl should be under 25, over 1.68 meters tall, less than 50 kilograms, and “sweet,” with at least a bachelor’s degree. He will pay 10 percent extra for a girl with a doctorate degree or a virgin. Among other promises is a chartered flight from Shenzhen to Zhengzhou and back.

Since it was put up, the post has become insanely popular. More than 10,000 girls have commented, and by Sunday afternoon 5,264 had applied for the girlfriend position. Many expressed regret over not meeting the eligibility criteria, while some said that the posting is just a publicity stunt. When Chinese reporters contacted the man, he confirmed that his offer is genuine, but he chose not to reveal his true identity.

Renting girlfriends for the Spring Festival is not unusual in China. Two years ago we reported on the growing number of online services that facilitate this kind of arrangements so that young bachelor’s don’t have to put up with their families’ constant nagging when they visit home.

Source: Zhengzhou Evening News via ECNS