從行山到火鍋，中國孤獨的消費者催生了價值74億美元的陪伴經濟

Recently Reuter reported the following:

From hiking to hotpot, lonely consumers in China fuel a $7.4 billion companionship economy 

Reuters - By Sophie Yu and Casey Hall

June 1, 20265:03 PM PDTUpdated 6 hours ago

BEIJING, June 2 (Reuters) - On the stone steps leading up Mount Tai, one of China’s best-known peaks, hikers can book and ‌pay for “climbing buddies” to walk with them, carry bags and take photos for a few hundred yuan.

The increasingly popular service is part of a broader “companionship economy” emerging in China, which includes paid partners for running, sightseeing and even eating out at hotpot restaurants – a meal traditionally shared with friends.

Providers, often students or ​young gig workers, advertise on social media with promises of “emotional value”, conversation and practical help, turning what was once an ​experience or favour among friends into a bookable – and payable – service.

While there is no official data about ⁠the size of the companion economy, estimates cited by state media said it was worth around 50 billion yuan ($7.4 billion) in 2025.

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 have a harder time maintaining 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, with a focus 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.

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 labour 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.

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 realised 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 said.

Translation

從行山到火鍋，中國孤獨的消費者催生了價值74億美元的陪伴經濟

北京，6月2日（路透社）—在通往中國著名山峰之一泰山的石階上，行山者可以預訂並付費僱用「登山夥伴」陪同他們登山、幫手提包、拍照，費用僅需幾百元人民幣。

這項日益流行的服務是中國正在興起的更廣泛的「陪伴經濟」的一部分，該經濟還包括付費結伴跑步、觀光，甚至一起去火鍋店吃飯 - 火鍋是傳統上與朋友一起享用的。

這些服務提供者通常是學生或年輕的兼職人員，他們在社群交體上做廣告，承諾提供「情感價值」、聊天和實際幫助，將曾經是朋友間的一次體驗或人情上幫忙變成了一種可以預訂並付費的服務。

雖然目前尚無關於陪伴經濟規模的官方數據，但根據官方媒體引述的估計，到2025年，其規模約為500億元人民幣（74億美元）。

這一趨勢反映了中國城市生活方式和服務業的更廣泛轉變。研究人員和官方媒體指出，隨著年輕人遠離有家庭聯繫和支持的生活和工作，面臨更長的工作時間和更難維繫傳統的社會關係，人們對「情感消費」的需求日益增加。

中國長期存在的青年失業問題，恰逢年輕人越來越依賴散工和彈性就業，加劇了這一趨勢。由於缺乏穩定的工作，畢業生和求職者紛紛轉向送外賣、叫車和其他線上平台工作。官方數據顯示，中國擁有超過2億所謂的彈性就業者。

付費陪伴

Chen Wenxin於2022年從軍隊退伍後，創辦了一家遠足陪伴公司，主要業務集中在山東省。

Chen先生說: 「我一直是個行山愛好者，也累積了豐富的遠足經驗」;「我注意到遠足陪同服務的需求不斷增長，於是決定在這方面嘗試一下」。

他的團隊已經從最初的不到10人發展到現在的約370人。他說，公司提供在山東最高峰泰山進行日間攀登的服務，收費800元人民幣（約116美元）。

心理治療師、研究公司3Drips Psychology的總經理Sami Wong女士表示，付費陪同服務的吸引力部分在於，它能提供確定性和可控性，而這種確定性和可控性在社交環境中往往讓人感到費力且高風險。

她說，結識新朋友需要付出情緒勞動和投入，“結果卻非常不確定”，這會讓人感到焦慮。付費陪同服務可以幫助顧客避免被拒絕的痛苦。

Wong 女士說: “當你付費享受這項服務時，你總能得到一個 ‘可以’” 。

24歲的Tang Junxing是桂林一所大學的大三學生，他說自己靠當旅行伴侶賺零用錢。這份兼職始於一位大學教授邀請他當她一週自駕遊的司機。

他說:「那時我才意識到，原來陪別人旅行、開車也能賺錢」。Tang表示，他通常每個月能賺到3000到5000元。

他說:「我的客戶大多是女性，她們最主要的需求是情感上的慰藉，希望有人能讓她們感到舒適，讓旅程輕鬆愉快」。

So, recently the so called “companionship economy” is emerging in China. China's prolonged youth unemployment has coincided with - and contributed to - a growing reliance on flexible work among young people. Official data shows China has more than 200 million so-called flexible workers. Apparently, this will relieve the unemployment situation among young people in China.