Participants said the course boosted their self-worth and reinforced the belief that middle-aged women can be both powerful and attractive. - Photo: QQ.com
BEIJING: Middle-aged wives in China are participating in “sex appeal training camps” designed to teach them seduction techniques as a means to discourage their husbands from cheating.
In July, a group of women convened in the eastern city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang province for a two-day programme that charged each participant 2,999 yuan (US$420).
A poster advertising the event stated: “Sex appeal is a woman taking control of her life.”
This viewpoint contrasts with traditional Chinese beliefs, which regard sex as a sensitive and private matter primarily for reproduction.
Participants were required to wear form-fitting cheongsams paired with black stockings.
On the first day, they attended lectures on the “essence of love” and learned techniques for achieving orgasm.
The second day emphasised kissing, sensual dancing, and playfully tearing their stockings.
They also engaged in role-playing exercises aimed at teaching them how to display their charm in intimate situations.
Online sources revealed that most of the participants were women aged from 35 to 55.
One 54-year-old woman, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared that she had developed feelings for a classmate of her son’s and expressed concerns about her diminishing attractiveness.
Another participant was a housewife facing the prospect of divorce after discovering her husband’s infidelity.
Additionally, a single mother recounted how her ex-husband had left her and taken most of their savings.
They were attracted to the training camp after reading the slogan: “Reignite passion in your marriage, revive your erotic life.”
They said that the course helped them find their self-worth and encouraged them to believe that middle-aged women can be powerful and attractive.
Mainland media reported that the camp was organised by a company known as Sex Appeal Academy.
The female instructors claimed they were “advanced therapists in intimate relationships and sex”, but did not reveal their real names.
One instructor, known as Elves, has 120,000 followers on Douyin.
However, the Post did not find any information about the Sex Appeal Academy or its instructors on the official China Sexology Association website.
In a previous report, Che Xiaoyan, director of the nursing committee at the association, told The Paper that all registered sex therapists on the mainland are trained in hospitals.
In a previous report, Che Xiaoyan, director of the nursing committee at the association, told The Paper that all registered sex therapists on the mainland work in hospitals.
“They have received multi-disciplinary training organised by the China Sexology Association, covering areas such as sexual medicine and human anatomy, and are the formal practitioners of sex therapy,” Che said.
The sex appeal training camp has sparked widespread criticism on mainland social media.
“This is an unethical business practice that takes advantage of women who are vulnerable and anxious about their lives,” one Weibo user said.
“These middle-aged women cannot discern right from wrong. We can improve our attractiveness healthily by reading and continuing our education,” another commented. - South China Morning Post
