Reuters - Video

Edition: US | UK | IN | CN | JP

video MOST POPULAR

No sex please, just cutesy flirting and strawberries for China's online hostesses

Thursday, April 16, 2015 - 02:21

In China's online hostessing world, men find virtual company and the women can find riches. Sharon Reich reports.

▲ Hide Transcript

▶ View Transcript

21-year-old student Xue Yueyue (SHWEH - YUEHYUEH) spends about four hours a day chatting online with fans who shower her with virtual gifts, that can be worth as much as thousands of yuan. Xiao's specialty is a type of Chinese flirting characterized by the woman acting in a cutesy childlike manner and speaking in a whiny voice. She is one of more than 10,000 hostesses on the Internet site bobo.com, a live broadcasting web platform where anyone can record themselves singing, dancing or chatting. Acting cute is okay, but anything explicitly sexual is not. SOUNDBITE: Xue Yueyue hostess and student, saying (Mandarin): "It's the Internet, which gives people a virtual feeling ... but we don't know each other. As time goes on there's this indescribable feeling, like they really support you, and their support improves your self-esteem." The hostesses are predominantly singers, playing to an audience that is 90 percent male, and mostly between the ages of 20 and 35. For Zhu Peihua (JU PAYWAH), who says he doesn't have enough money to get a girlfriend, it's all about companionship. SOUNDBITE: Zhu Peihua, bobo.com user, saying (Mandarin): "This is a real person. You can interact with them. I have some one who will talk to me." For some, the companionship can lead to infatuation. 32-year-old Wang Dong, began watching the broadcasts when he started working for bobo as a graphic designer. He soon found himself so infatuated with one hostess, he designed personalized virtual gifts for her. SOUNDBITE: Wang Dong, bobo.com user, saying (Mandarin): "I felt she was quite youthful, and she had such a sweet smile, it was just, every now and again she had this kind of feeling of sincerity ... so I watched her broadcasts every day." There are about 50 Internet companies in China running video chat services. The platforms typically take a cut of the money donated by users.

Press CTRL+C (Windows), CMD+C (Mac), or long-press the URL below on your mobile device to copy the code

Close

No sex please, just cutesy flirting and strawberries for China's online hostesses

Thursday, April 16, 2015 - 02:21

Featured Videos

Alibaba's new hotel runs on robot hospitality

Alibaba's new hotel runs on robot hospitality

Featuring human-less check-ins, facial scans and voice-controlled rooms, e-commerce giant Alibaba has unveiled its first ''future hotel'' in China
Runners take on world's largest wine cellar

Runners take on world's largest wine cellar

Hundreds of runners compete in a 10 km race in the world's largest wine cellar, wearing head torches to navigate dark limestone caves that stretch some 200 km underground near the capital of Moldova
Meet the bikers aiming to unite Iraq

Meet the bikers aiming to unite Iraq

The nearly-400 ''Iraq Bikers'' ride their motorcycles through Baghdad, hoping their passion for bikes and black leather will help to heal Iraq's deep sectarian rifts
Want to be Danish? You'd better shake hands

Want to be Danish? You'd better shake hands

New Danish citizens seal their naturalization by shaking the immigration minister's hand - an obligatory rite in the ceremony under a controversial new law
Uganda's young lacrosse players dream of glory

Uganda's young lacrosse players dream of glory

Uganda is the first African country to field a national lacrosse team at the sport's World Championships, and one player is now trying to keep the sport alive through the country's youth.