Sales of adult toys soar on hot demand

Liu's shop sells high-quality sex dolls, with most imported from Japan.

A growing number of Chinese users, though, think dolls are not all about sex, but love, said Liu, showing various types of sex dolls that quietly greet potential customers in his shop.

"Sex dolls are not only designed for single men and those living away from their girlfriends or wives, but also for disabled persons. They could be even used in medical services," said Liu.

Li Guohui (not his real name), 26, a designer with a technology company in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, called it "a doll-friend" after having a "relationship" with it for about half a year.

"I don't have much time for dating a girl. For a long time, I used to spend post-work hours with my doll-friend at home. Sometimes, I would dress her up and say good night to her before we went to bed," Li said.

Li has also bought various wigs for his doll-friend. "Sometimes, she is cute and sometimes she looks very elegant in different hair styles and clothes," he said.

Some women, though, find it hard to believe that a man can derive sexual satisfaction and emotional solace from a mass of rubber in the shape of a woman.

"The dolls are not interactive and emotional. How can a man fill the emptiness of his bed with a soulless toy girl?" said Mo Shaolei, a woman in her 30s.

On China's online communities, a growing number of anonymous individuals gather, sharing stories after having relations with sex dolls. Some are truly sad.

On bbs.tianya.net, a major Chinese online forum, one Internet user posted a lengthy article titled "What can I do after my wife trampled my sex doll?"

The user, it transpires, bought a China-made sex doll on Taobao.com for about 600 yuan a month ago. "My wife spends almost 20 days each month on her business trips. I just could not stay alone at nights," the user said in the article.

His wife, surprisingly, saw a toy girl lying on bed with him one day as she returned home earlier than usual.

"We had a big quarrel that day. She could not accept my reasoning. Moreover, like many Chinese traditional women, my wife could not accept that a man can use a sex toy to satisfy his carnal desires," said the user.

Deng Disi contributed to this story.