Why men increasingly prefer sex dolls to women

Millions of Chinese migrant workers leave their home and families to work in cities, only returning home every weekend or less.

Some Chinese men who work away from home for long stretches of time are buying expensive life-like sex dolls - so they don't cheat on their wives.

Millions of men in China leave their home and families to work in cities, only returning home every weekend or less.

But as loneliness sets in, many feel the need for companionship.

Instead of turning to prostitutes or casual sex, thousands of men buy high-quality sex dolls made of a soft rubbery material that feels like skin, adjustable hands, a removable head and genitals.

An automotive designer who only gave his name as Liu, 29, forked out Sh 200000 on his buxom model.

Liu has been married for more than a decade and has a toddler. He does not want to be unfaithful - but still needs to satisfy his sexual appetite.

He told The Japan Times: "Honestly, it is very easy to just pay a little money to find a woman in China, but I simply cannot bring myself to cheat on my wife, so I have never considered it."

Despite the cost (a month's wages) he was disappointed.

"As an industrial designer I can’t neglect the lack of realistic details,” he said.

"So I just used it a few times."

Yi Jiange is a slaesman at Micdolls, a sex shop in Beijing.

He says his clients are usually professionals in their 30s and 40s, and he admires their faithfulness.

He said: "If a married man refuses to see prostitutes and uses a doll instead, isn’t it admirable?"

Jiange added that some men become emotionally attached to their sex dolls.

They call themselves “friends of dolls,” and anonymously use online forums to share reviews, experiences and advice.

Their numbers have risen from a few hundred to more than 20,000 in recent years.

The Chinese sex toy market is estimated at up to £10.3 billion per year.