'I'd talk to the TV': The paid companions bringing warmth to China's lonely
As loneliness grows in China, a new industry is emerging to provide companionship and support.
Key points
- A growing 'loneliness industry' in China offers paid companionship services to isolated elderly and young people.
- Wang Yingwei runs a delivery team that provides meals and practical help to elderly clients like 91-year-old Yang in Beijing.
- Securities firm Sinolink valued the sector at around $7.4 billion in 2025, with demand expected to grow.
A paid companionship industry is expanding in Chinese cities to address loneliness among elderly and young people. Services range from meal delivery and home repairs to medical escorts and hiking companions.
In Beijing, 91-year-old Yang, who has glaucoma and failing eyesight, said her loneliness was so severe she considered voluntary euthanasia. She now receives twice-daily visits from Wang Yingwei and his delivery team, who bring hot meals and help with tasks like fixing her air conditioner.
What the companions provide
Wang Yingwei, a former mobile phone salesman, told the BBC his team sees itself as 'community children'. They assist with needs such as installing filtered water tanks or replacing broken shower parts. His services cost less than half the price of a caregiver, and his small business employs four people with possible expansion.
Twenty-three-year-old Liu Yanyan works as a medical escort, accompanying clients to large city hospitals or picking up test results and medication. She said some customers are young migrants who feel awkward asking colleagues for help due to social reciprocity in Chinese culture.
The biggest difficulty really was the loneliness. Sometimes, if I wanted to talk to someone I'd talk to the TV.
— Yang, 91
Other services and market size
Wang Zhoutao runs a hiking business on Mount Huangshan, providing emotional support, photos and jokes. He said he normally hikes 10 to 15 days a month, up to 30 when fully booked. One client who felt ostracised at work thanked him after completing the tough trek.
Associate Professor Teresa Kuan of the Chinese University of Hong Kong said some people prefer paying a stranger to share their feelings because a service relationship is more predictable than friendship. Sinolink valued the loneliness industry at around $7.4 billion in 2025, though solid data on its size is still lacking.
