Businessman Zhenguo Yu lives in a small town in southwest China. Divorced and living with his teen son, they look like the average single parent family. The only difference is that he owns 11 sex dolls.
“Whenever I order custom-made dresses for them, the tailors would think I’m joking because the measurements are far from the normal size of a human,” Yu told Quartz.
“Nobody has such big boobs and a small waist.”
The dolls don't come cheap either. Made to look more human-like, they can cost $2 000 (about R28 600) each. But the cost doesn't seem to deter many Chinese men who outnumber females. They are buying sex dolls for their companionship.
According to Taobao, China’s largest online shopping platform, about 1 500 sex dolls are sold on the site every day.
Yu has built an online following and has earned the online nickname,“Uncle Li”. Some have even asked him to adopt their dolls when they get married, so they know they are in good hands.