A woman from Shanghai reportedly spent around RMB30,000, or about S$5,600, to hire about 30 young men to accompany her up Mount Tai in China’s Shandong province.
And “accompany” might be putting it mildly.
Videos circulating online showed members of the group taking turns carrying or giving the woman piggyback rides during the climb. Others helped her along the route, held an umbrella over her and fanned her, according to reports by 8world and HK01.
The incident was said to have taken place on 15 August around the Eighteen Bends and Zhongtianmen areas of Mount Tai, although reports about it emerged more widely in September.
About 30 Men Reportedly Hired for the Climb
According to 8world, the tourist reportedly paid about RMB30,000 for roughly 30 young men to join her on the mountain.
Footage showed the men performing several different roles during the outing. Besides carrying bags and helping with the route, they reportedly provided shade, fanned the woman and supported her while she walked.
At other points, different men took turns carrying her in their arms or on their backs, meaning she apparently did very little of the actual climbing herself. Some members of the group were also reported to have performed for her during the journey.
Both 8world and HK01 presented the RMB30,000 price and the group size as reported figures, rather than independently verified details of the arrangement.
Paying Someone to Climb With You Is Already a Thing at Mount Tai
While hiring around 30 people is unusual, paying for a climbing companion at Mount Tai is not a new concept.
The service gained attention in China from around 2024 onwards, with young people, including university students, offering to accompany visitors on the climb.
A 2025 report by China National Radio, citing reporting by Red Star News, found that such companions could provide directions, carry belongings, chat with customers and encourage them when they became tired. One provider charged RMB600 for a daytime climb and RMB700 for a night climb.
In other words, the basic business model is less “hire someone to climb the mountain for you” and more “hire someone to make sure you actually reach the top”.
There have already been more elaborate versions. In 2025, two women reportedly hired 24 men while climbing Mount Tai with a five-year-old child. The companions took turns carrying the child, with the outing reportedly costing close to RMB30,000 as well.
Some Netizens Question Whether It Was Staged
The latest videos attracted mixed reactions online.
Some commenters reportedly saw nothing wrong with the arrangement, arguing that it was simply a paid service agreed upon by both sides.
Others questioned whether the large group and conspicuous carrying scenes had been organised mainly to generate attention online.
There were also concerns that having such a large group stop and carry someone on Mount Tai’s steep and relatively narrow stairways could inconvenience other visitors or create safety issues. These were concerns raised by online commenters, rather than findings announced by the scenic area authorities.
Whatever the motivation, hiring 30 people certainly turns a mountain hike into something rather different from the standard backpack-and-walking-stick experience.
