China actor rejects US$2,800 fee to be mountain-climbing companion, plans to change jobs

A Chinese actor who once went viral for offering paid companionship services to people evening hiking on Mount Tai for 799 yuan (US$115) has revealed that the charge was inflated to 19,999 yuan (US$2,800). He now plans to launch a paid swimming companionship service in 2026. In June, 35-year-old Shi Yuanting, a native of Shenyang in northeastern China’s Liaoning province, went viral after posting a video of himself accompanying a client on a hike up Mount Tai. He charged 699 yuan during the day...