'I'd talk to the TV': The paid companions bringing warmth to China's lonely

"The biggest difficulty really was the loneliness. Sometimes, if I wanted to talk to someone I'd talk to the TV."

Key points

• Wang Zhoutao runs a hiking business to support residents who want to climb China's famous mountain Huangshan in Anhui Province.
• The former soldier continued that he normally hikes up the mountain with clients 10 to 15 days a month.
• Zheng Ruizhi, another client of Yingwei's who lives in Beijing's northern outskirts, welcomed him at the door with a major smile.
• Some of my customers are individuals in their 20s who came to Beijing to build a career.
• Back in her little Beijing flat, Yang is feeling more comfortable now that Yingwei has sorted out her difficulty of making the air conditioner work properly.

Yang, 91, lives on the outskirts of China's bustling capital Beijing. After the death of her husband, she was so lonely that she states she even considered the possibility of voluntary euthanasia.

"I asked my son regarding it but he informed me it was banned. I informed him that if it ever becomes legal I want to do it – I didn't want to live any longer."

Suffering glaucoma, with failing eyesight, she was unable to even do basic things like adjust the controls on her air conditioner.

Cases such as Yang's have become increasingly common in Chinese cities which Associate Professor Teresa Kuan, from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, notes is "exacerbated by the structure of society and the modes by which people interact".

There are plenty of causes of isolation in China. Most of it happens when rural migrants pursue economic opportunities, leaving behind close-knit backing networks for urban centres where loneliness and uncertainty can be challenging to overcome, or when graduates uproot themselves chasing employment on the other side of the country.

But now a growing "loneliness industry" has emerged to try to fill these gaps in people's lives.

Yang notes her life has been transformed by one of these services – Wang Yingwei and his electric scooter delivery team – who kicked off coming over twice a day with hot meals but whose support extends far beyond that.

We see ourselves as community children, Yingwei informed the BBC. It means putting yourself in the shoes of older individuals and carefully considering their needs.

"For example, they may be drinking tap water which can be cloudy and contain a lot of lime. I can fix this difficulty with a filtered water tank. Such a small thing can create them much happier. Maybe they can't shower since their equipment is broken. I'll purchase a part, replace it and their shower is fine."

"The elderly treat us like their children, and we treat them like our own parents, " he continued.

Yingwei's services cost less than half the cost of employing a caregiver.

In practice, the former mobile phone salesman notes he kicked off his firm to assist seniors remain at home without having to move into retirement facilities. He was inspired to do this after his own father-in-law. This person had developed Alzheimer's, had to go into a nursing home. Yingwei remarked he felt that the conditions there were so sub-standard he wanted to produce sure others could stay out of institutions like this for as long as feasible.

His small business at present employs four residents but he notes there is a possibility he will expand as demand grows.

There is still a shortage of solid data on the size of this sector – which operators say has exploded over recent years – but securities firm Sinolink valued it at around $7.4 billion in 2025. And this is only projected to grow given the trajectory of modern lifestyles.

"After retiring, I don't have much opportunity to hang out with others, " the 75-year-old, whose son lives two hours away from her, informed the BBC.

She was recovering from a recent injury which she remarked was making everyday tasks more challenging.

But the arrival of Yingwei – who she calls her "dear boy" – lightened her mood.

"I call you 'dear boy' since I am so fond of you. I genuinely like you from the bottom of my heart. I additionally admire and trust you. When you support me out, I don't have a single worry or fear, " she informed him.

Yet the services offered by those in this sector are not limited to home visits.

Twenty-three-year-old Liu Yanyan, for instance, works as a "medical escort". She acts as a friendly face taking clients to see the doctor, or picking up their test results or medication from city hospitals. It can be intimidatingly sizeable and bureaucratic.

"Some of my customers are individuals in their 20s who came to Beijing to build a career. They might not have friends here or feel awkward asking colleagues to accompany them since of the concept of social reciprocity in Chinese culture, " she stated. "If I accompanied you to a doctor's appointment for free, you might feel obligated to buy me a meal or a movie ticket afterwards."

As of this, there are plenty of residents in modern Chinese society who tend to keep to themselves, she remarked that.

"So, they hire someone like me to accompany them to the hospital. If they had to go alone, they could feel scared or anxious."

At the core of plenty of businesses catering to loneliness in China is a simple offering: human connection.

According to Teresa Kuan, some residents prefer the option of pouring their hearts out to a complete stranger for a fee.

"If there is a companion you have paid for, the relationship is not exactly equal. It is a service relationship, so you don't have to accord with the unpredictability of a standard relationship. The thing regarding friendship is that it can be unpredictable. You don't know when someone might disappoint you. But, in a service relationship, you have a better idea of what to expect."

"We provide emotional backing, like cheering them up, taking their photo or telling jokes. It's really a service based on companionship, " he remarked.

Meanwhile, the former soldier continued that he normally hikes up the mountain with clients 10 to 15 days a month. When fully booked, this could be as plenty of as 30 times a month.

He offered an example of a young woman he once accompanied who felt ostracised at work. "She felt useless and wanted to prove something to herself, " he remarked.

"We began climbing but it was a tough trek as the weather was really hot and we were sweating a lot. There were moments she wanted to offer up but I informed her, 'If you quit now and can't obtain over this mountain how will you handle anything else in life?'. I kept encouraging her."

After they created it all the way he stated she sent him a long message of thanks describing her inner journey and expressing her gratitude.

"The pace of life is just too fast these days. Individuals face pressure from work, relationships and family expectations, " he stated. "I think my clients are mostly people who feel a void in their relationships or have suffered a setback."

Human connection is a necessity but, in a society grappling with loneliness throughout generations, it has now additionally become a commodity.

"It's good to have someone around when you need it, someone you can share your innermost thoughts with, " she remarked.

I did struggle with loneliness but that's been resolved now. I'm quite happy.

"I can't lose Yingwei and the others. They've all obtained a good heart."

Taken together, the developments around ' I' d talk to the TV' : The paid companions bringing warmth to China' s point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.