A couple weeks ago I saw this on XCar.com.cn, a Chinese online discussion forum / community site focused on cars and also, apparently, dildo calligraphy. Interesting, but seems like it could be quite dangerous. // AjS
:: meeting people online is not hard: online acquaintances can be made in general-interest BBS forums, through SNS websites, or over IM software. But finding love in these online relationships might be a little awkward, so a wide range of websites have sprung up to help Chinese netizens meet a special someone to spend the rest of their life with, or just to get together for a quick roll in the hay.
general match-making ::
Baihe is the premier online personals site in China. Founded in 2005, it claims to have reached 13 million registered members at the end of 2008. From its motto (“soul mates finding a happy marriage”) to the services it offers, Baihe is geared toward bringing people together for traditional marriages, not casual dating. The website provides a Soulmate tool that performs a personality quiz and tries to match users up with compatible mates. With its sizable membership, Baihe has large local sub-groups in cities across China so people can find possible matches close to them. Other matchmaking websites are job-specific. 91Fate is aimed at white-collar workers; the website specifies that members must have achieved at least a vocational college level of education. And at Central Meetup (央务鹊桥), the Chinese government has set up a website for single civil servants and party cadres. Aspiring members apply through the government and party employees committee and can then take part in special singles events organized by the website and related organizations. And Shanghai-registered gay portal BoySky has a personals section (阳光交友) that has profiles from men across the country, along with a BBS, chat rooms, and video chat services.
hook-ups ::
Some people may not be interested in long-term relationships. For them, there’s 9yiye (就一夜交友), whose name translates to “Friends for a night.” This matchmaking website is devoted to bringing people together for one-night stands. Newly-registered users are given 1,000 free credits, and the website encourages users to reveal their real personal information and participate in community-building activities by rewarding them with extra credits — 300 for uploading a personal, 40 for revealing a phone number, and 2 for posting a comment — which can be used toward typical SNS services like buying virtual gifts and sending phone messages. In terms of privacy protection, the website allows users to send emails or text messages to others without revealing their addresses or phone numbers. Anticipating that one-night-stand registration could be used as a tool for harassment, 9yiye threatens to report people who fill in false information to the police. Currently, users are predominately male. There are countless other dodgy BBS forums that get thousands of comments a day in forums devoted to hookups. A random example is Avi4, which divides hookup requests by region and has other sub-forums for adult content and other, restricted boards for edgier stuff like partner-swapping and bestiality (how much of this is more than just for show remains unknown — entrance requires VIP status on the website). The site claims to be registered with the Ministry of Industry and Information in Guangzhou, but its registration number which isn’t in the database, and it’s hosted in the US. This and other sites like it (search Baidu for 一夜情论坛) form a part of the Chinese language Internet unwelcome by the authorities but that seems to satisfy a certain need on the part of netizens.
fetish ::
S&M site SMNei is an SNS aimed at people into S&M. Currently there are 25426 members who can join various interest groups, like “bondage and dripping wax” sex group, which are only open to members. Like other Facebook / Xiaonei knock-offs, SMNei profiles include a discussion board, a message board, a photo album, and functionality for users to seek other people who share their same S&M interests, such as seen in user Zuqiandai’s profile.
non-traditional relationships ::
Asexual Marriage (无性婚姻网) is probably the most well-known website devoted to bringing people together for marriages in which sex does not play a part. It’s been covered in the mainland media as well as in a 2006 Reuters article. The site mentions various reasons for which people may be seeking asexual marriages – no sex drive, a desire for purely platonic companionship, or for medical reasons – but judging from the articles posted on the front page as well as the links bar at the bottom, the website is largely geared toward homosexuals who are seeking a traditional marriage as demanded by heteronormative Chinese society.
video chat ::
Love65 (65经典社区) is a social network site that offers games, stories, and discussion groups but is mostly devoted to video chat. It’s fee-based, and features “dancing,” “KTV,” and “private chat”. A warning banner on video pages says that the platform is solely for making friends, and that members should not tempt video presenters to do anything obscene or pornographic. Similar restrictions appear on other mainstream video chat sites, such as Liaoliao (聊聊语音聊天网), particularly after anti-filth campaigns. Nonetheless, there are lots of dodgier sites, many of which seem to be outright scams, that promote sex chat services. 3ren.com, a platform for building special-interest SNS websites, hosts a recently-launched Naked Chatroom (裸聊社区) to connect people for sex chatting. However, judging from the QQ numbers that get exchanged on other BBS discussion forums, and screenshots that circulate on adult image websites, most naked chatting and cybering probably takes place outside the browser, in IM software applications.
// AjS
[Friday 5 is the product of my work at Edelman Digital (China). Link here for the full Friday 5 archive. If you'd like to be added to the bilingual (English & Chinese) Friday 5 email distribution list, please send me an email at: adam DOT schokora AT edelman DOT com.]
:: I like sex just as much as the next average adult male (or female), but it’s staggering to see the amount of blatant advertising that goes on in China for sex-related services.
Even just a cursory view of any foreign language publication in Shanghai reveals a plethora of such “services,” most of which are targeted at male readers.
Despite an official government stance against both sexually explicit adverts and blatant promotion of sexual services, pretty much all the expat magazines and papers in Shanghai (Shanghai Daily used to be a prime example of this) have, or up until fairly recently, had sexually explicit advertising.
Online classifieds are even worse though. Check them out, you’ll find sexual service related advertising catering to the straight and gay male population.
If we narrow the field down to Shanghai, there are a few main websites with classifieds we can focus on. If we focus on Craigslist Shanghai, we can actually make some statistical analysis of this advertising.
Such adverts in Craigslist Shanghai typically mention “special services,” and happy endings, below is an example (pardon the grammar / spelling mistakes, it’s quoted content):
I have on offer something quite special, some would say something better than sex.
I am independent massage provider, Visiting you ( out calls only please ) at your private home/residence or hotel, My ultimate goal is to sensualize your mind, entice your body, elevate your spirit.I will fulfill all your desires in the most pleasurable way.
I will completely relax you with passionate, sensual caressing, massaging, and special touching over every part of your body, using my skillful hands and perfect breasts. Words can’t describe how good it will feel. I will let you touch me, as long as you let me do most of the touching! Of course, naturally, with a gorgeous woman being this intimate with you, you will become incredibly aroused, I will let this build up until, naturally I give you blissful relief.
Soft, tasteful music, candles and delicious aromas of essential oils will complete the atmosphere.
I am beautiful both of face and body (and mind, for those that this matters to!) sensual and curvy in the right places, 36C and rounded, sexy bottom. Soft features and cute and alluring smile. . My personality is warm, and I’m comfortable to be around.
Fee: Hot special Sensual massage: 300RMB 90mins
As each advert includes a telephone number, a basic Google search can reveal further information.
The local Chinese mobile phone number: has spammed Craigslist Shanghai 99 times in the last 30 days, although the advertiser has been rather consistent compared to others (see below).
This advertiser uses 13512189744 as a contact number, and claims to be a “young, beautiful, 100% independent Chinese girl named Lily” (again, pardon the grammar / spelling mistakes, quoted content):
I am a young and beautiful 100% independent Chinese girl. I have very soft, creamy skin and a cuddly, warm personality to match.
With a natural and fit 32C/D-24-34 figure I enjoy being a real GFF to distinguished gentlemen. Whether you seek a rslaxing evening with a glass of wine and conversation, or an exciting mid-day rendezvous I will provide you with my complete attention.I will give you the perfect massage. Our time is unhurried and preferred for the kind gentleman seeking an erotic and romantic confidant. I take good care of my health and body, and my face is beautiful. I am passionate about life and it is my nature to get pleasure from my work. I am playful or serious and have an appreciation of a good sense of humor.
I am looking forward to meet you soon. My phone number:13512189744 (lily)
Romantic massage /2Hr:300RMB
Happy massage /2 Hr:500RMB
Top oil massage/2 Hr :800RMB
Cross checking the whole of Craiglist Shanghai for “Lily’s” mobile number (13512189744) reveals 344 spamvertised ads.
Googling that same number shows that the Chinese BBS’s are also being spammed with this particular advert: example.
This advertiser is named “Anna:”
Hey Guy’s. If you are looking for a sexy, attractive, busty young girl to relax with tonight look no further.
I am Anna, 21 years old, 162cm tall and weigh 45kg. And now I’m living Shanghai.
I enjoy meeting new people. I am an independent, discreet girl ready to get a little naughty with a guy looking for a laid back down to earth cutie! I provide a memorable service, which is both erotic and relaxed. I am very warm, friendly, intelligent and easy to be with and provide a first class service!
Give me a call and let’s see how much fun can we have together!
A cursory check on Craigslist Shanghai reveals that that mobile number (15021931860) has been used 194 times in adverts over the last month, and more interestingly, Anna is also known by a number of different names: Anna, Grace, Nana etc.
Perhaps more interestingly, she also appears to look like different people in her different photo’s. A more cynical person than I might deduce that the pictures are fake.
The next advertiser, using the mobile number 15901761699, has no name, but has advertised 85 times under different titles / images. of that mobile number reveals more details than the other numbers above.
According to the Google results, the advertiser is actually named Linda Gao (高小姐), and she has an address, a company name, and a Web site.
Shanghai White Cloud Blind Masseuse Club (上海白云盲人保健按摩会所)
#33 Chenjiazhai Rd., Shanghai, China (上海市陈家宅路33号
http://www.shgongguan.cn
Unfortunately the Web site is not reachable, but as all Chinese Web sites require an ICP licence, it’s possible to look up “the responsible party.”
The Miibeian.gov.cn site reveals that the site was registered to Guan Junhua 关俊华, with a government issued ICP number of for a number of (didgy) Web sites:
www.ywlp-sh.com
www.pandot.cn
www.chinamassage88.com
www.shgongguan.cn
www.shgangyun.com
Google ChinaMassage88.com reveals another mobile phone number: , and an address (the other sites appear to be gone / inaccessible).
Unfortunately further research was a dead end – although a number of Web sites have exactly the same email address, and contact numbers. The businesses range from delivery companies to someone selling mail order clothing. There is also a link to someone asking for assistance in Web development / coding.
It’s likely that this is the Web site developer for the massage sites above, but I couldn’t find anything concrete showing involvement in the massage game, so they were probably just work-for-hire.
I backtracked to Linda Gao and searched for the company name instead. This led to a job posting advert for a spa site.
The job posting has a contact name for the job, which turned out to be Miss Gao (高小姐) again! More interestingly, it also has an address that actually exists, unlike the previous ones, and it turns out to be #298 Tongren Rd. (Shanghai), less than 300 meters away from where I am writing this post.
I pass this address on my way to and from work every day, so I’m quite familiar with the road and immediately realised exactly where I thought this would be: on Tongren Rd., in between the restaurants Malones and Spot Bar, the small “hairdressing” salon (i.e massage parlour). Every day I pass by there I see a bunch of bored, scantily dressed girls, and at least one on a laptop.
Unfortunately when I walked home tonight, my suspicions were dashed, as I realised that the potential location was on the wrong site of the street number wise. I was close though, 298 is actually the sauna *directly* opposite Malones. So, at last I had found the spammers. Mystery Solved. Kudos to them for being computer literate at least!
Craigslist even lists a dedicated to spamming / spreading the word for “special services” in China. Also, just for reference, her are the relveant online China anti-pornography law, and reporting sites
// XD
[Xiao Du (小杜) is a guest contributor on 56minus1]
