On the stone steps leading up Mount Tai, one of China's most famous peaks, hikers can now book and pay for "climbing buddies" to accompany them, carry bags, and take photos for a few hundred yuan. This increasingly popular service is part of a broader "companionship economy" emerging in China, which includes paid partners for running, sightseeing, and even dining at hotpot restaurants—a meal traditionally shared with friends.
Providers and Demand
Providers, often students or young gig workers, advertise on social media with promises of "emotional value," conversation, and practical help. This turns what was once an experience or favor among friends into a bookable and payable service. While there is no official data on the size of the companion economy, estimates cited by state media suggest it was worth around 50 billion yuan ($7.4 billion) in 2025.
Broader Shifts in Urban Lifestyles
The trend reflects broader shifts in China's urban lifestyles and service economy. Researchers and state media have described growing demand for "emotional consumption" as young people live and work farther from family networks, face longer working hours, and struggle to maintain traditional social ties. China's prolonged youth unemployment has coincided with—and contributed to—a growing reliance on gig and flexible work among young people, as graduates and job seekers turn to delivery, ride-hailing, and other online platform work in the absence of stable jobs. Official data shows China has more than 200 million so-called flexible workers.
Paying for Company
After leaving the army in 2022, Chen Wenxin founded a hiking-companion company focusing on the eastern province of Shandong. "I have always been a hiker and have a lot of hiking experience," Chen said. "I noticed rising demand in the hiking escort service, then decided to try my hand in the field." His team has expanded from fewer than 10 workers to about 370 now. He said the company charges 800 yuan ($116) for daytime climbs on Mount Tai, the highest point in Shandong.
Psychological Appeal
Psychotherapist Sami Wong, managing director of research firm 3Drips Psychology, said the appeal of paid companions is partly about certainty and control in a social environment that can otherwise feel like a lot of effort and high-risk. Meeting people requires emotional labor and investment, she said, and "the outcome is very uncertain," which creates anxiety. Paid companionship can help customers avoid the sting of rejection. "When you pay for this service, you always get a 'yes'," Wong said.
Student Side Gig
Tang Junxing, 24, a junior at a university in the southern Chinese city of Guilin, said he earns pocket money as a travel companion. The side gig started when a university professor asked him to be her driver on a week-long road trip. "That's when I realized you can actually make money by accompanying people on trips and driving for them," he said. Tang says he typically earns 3,000 to 5,000 yuan a month. "Most of my clients are women and their core need is emotional value, someone who makes them feel good and makes the trip easy," he added.
