From hiking to hotpot, lonely consumers in China fuel a $7.4 billion companionship economy
World 16:03 02/06/2026On 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.
Vietnam’s largest ‘lau mam’ hotpot draws crowds at Ca Mau festival
Travel 15:52 26/04/2025A massive 'lau mam' (fermented fish hotpot) measuring 125 cm in diameter drew crowds on Friday as Ca Mau Province in southern Vietnam kicked off its annual U Minh Forest Scent Festival, spotlighting the region’s culinary and cultural heritage.
Huge hotpot recognized as Vietnam’s largest
Travel 15:20 13/11/2014A hotpot prepared on Wednesday morning by nearly 500 chefs serving 3,000 diners in Ho Chi Minh City has been certified as the largest of its kind in Vietnam