Holiday boyfriend put up for auction

SHANGHAI - If you were looking for something a bit different this Christmas, you could have placed a bid on renting a boyfriend for the holiday, with an iPad thrown in for the successful bidder.

An advertisement placing a Christmas boyfriend up for auction was posted on Dec 12 on Taobao.com, China's largest online marketplace, and proved to be a success with netizens, who were willing to spend 5,450 yuan ($820) on having a go.

The advertisement offered the opportunity to enjoy a Christmas date with 22-year-old Liu Shijie in Beijing and receive an iPad worth 3,000 yuan, along with a round-trip airfare and accommodation.