SHANGHAI: It would seem a fair bet that the world's most populous nation
would also be the most sexually active.
But despite prolific reproduction, recent history has given China the image
of a country where sex is taboo a reputation Shanghai's third ADCEXPO adult toy
and sexual health exhibition, which opened on Friday, should do much to revise.
A visitor takes
picture of a lingerie model at Shanghai's third ADCEXPO adult toy and
sexual health exhibition, which opens on Friday, August 11, 2006. [China
Daily] |
Since its inception in 2004, interest
in the exhibition has rocketed.
"At the first show two years ago everyone was very shy to see what would
happen because having a show like this was unheard of," exhibitor Jimmy Cai,
head of condom manufacturer DKT, told China Daily.
"Then the second year the skirts got a bit shorter, and now look at it, it's
almost like Las Vegas."
According to Cai, sex product manufacturing, which used to be centred in
Taiwan and Hong Kong, has moved to the mainland, with China now responsible for
80 per cent of global production.
And the contraceptive mogul, who last year branched out to launch a
business-to-business magazine for the sex-product industry and a related
Internet platform, insisted that although most manufacturers sell their products
abroad, there is also increasing domestic demand.
"The condom industry here is a very good one to be in, although advertising
in print media is still banned, because we help combat AIDS we are supported by
the government, we are very active on the Internet and expect to see sales go up
30-50 per cent year-on-year," Cai claimed.
At the side of the DKT stand a man in his 50s, "Lao" Yu, was climbing into an
inflatable "Mr Condom" outfit.
"He'll get a bonus for wearing the suit," said Cai, "but I haven't decided
how much yet."
