A silicone doll head awaits assembly after the application of non-removable makeup at the EXDOLL factory. Dalian, China, 27 April 2018. EXDOLL is a leading manufacturer of silicone sex dolls in China. Founded in 2013, EXDOLL produces around 5,000 TPE ( modified thermoplastic elastomers material) and silicone dolls every year, priced from 300 to 3000 USD. Sold both locally and overseas, the company’s products account for about half of the 5,000 to 6,000 sex dolls sold annually in China. Customers can choose their doll’s eye and skin color — and even give specifications for pubic hair, which is attached to the dolls by hand at the factory. Once the dolls are made, they’re shipped off in coffin-like cardboard boxes, their heads and genitals separated from their bodies for users to assemble themselves. Currently, the company’s most popular model among Chinese customers is UT145, who, at 145 centimeters tall, has the proportions of a grown woman but the stature of the average 10-year-old Chinese girl. There are also full-size dolls with a similar weight to a real woman, male sex dolls, and 100-centimeter-tall “dream girl” dolls — popular due to their lighter weight.
China’s latest population data reveals that despite the implementation of the "two child policy", the gender imbalance is a continuing social problem. There are 33.6 million more men than women in this country of 1.4 billion people, and among those born in the 1980's, the ratio of unmarried men to women indicates a severe gender imbalance. As of 2017, the market for silicone dolls was very large, and with a yearly growth rate of about 30%, the number of factories and suppliers is also steadily on the rise. Manufacturers hope to make dolls lifelike enough to cure loneliness among the country's huge unmarried population. As China economy rapidly diversifies, sexual subcultures are diversifying alongside. Among these, the diversification in the use of silicone sex dolls is apparent through the proliferation of Doll Mates groups on Chinese social media. In these groups, "Mates" exchange photos of the dolls, tips on how to use them, the defects of different brands, how to wash them, dress them and care for them. The Doll Mates market in China is segmented into three main groups: those who buy silicone dolls purely for sexual use, those who buy them because they want a life partner - someone to love and take care of without the economic and mental pressure of human-to-human relationships - and those who buy them to dress them up and take pictures for use on social media.
WeiShuying and her mother enjoy spending time together with WeiShuying’s silicone dolls. Nanning, China, 3 June 2018. WeiShuying is a 17-year-old Chinese girl who studies art in high school in Nanning, China. During the week, she lives in the dormitory of her school but on the weekends she returns to the home of her mother, divorced long ago from WeiShuying’s father. It is there that WeiShuying keeps her beloved collection of silicone dolls. WeiShuying owns 4 silicone dolls varying in size from 85cm to 145cm in height. In China, such dolls are produced principally to satisfy the sexual desires of male buyers. WeiShuying is aware of the nature of her dolls but admits that she is not bothered by this. In her mind they are simply beautiful female figures whose perfect bodies she admires. WeiShuying says that the first time she approached the world of silicone dolls was years ago. She had always been attracted to the world of cosplay but being very shy she never actively participated in it. She always preferred to admire and dream. She lives through her dolls and they provide the entry point to this world of costumes and make-up. WeiShuying began researching the various silicone doll factories on the Internet at the age of 14. She frequented social media groups associated with this type of dolls in order to find out about prices and varieties. In the end, she asked her mother for financial help to buy her first silicone doll. At the beginning, WeiShuying's mother was skeptical but soon realized that nowadays in China these silicone dolls attract many different types of customers, many of whom do not necessarily use the dolls in a sexual manner. She thought her daughter might use the dolls to help improve her drawings skills. After two years WeiShuying has developed a profound attachment with her silicone dolls. She loves to make them up, dress them and she considers them to be sisters with whom she can spend time while she is at home. WeiShuying admits that she really misses her dolls when she is at school and if she has the opportunity to study abroad in the future, she will take at least the small one with her.
L.S. having sex with Nana, one of his silicone dolls, Nanning, China,18 May 2018. L.S. is a 28 year old Chinese boy who began to be interested in silicone dolls after the end of a tormenting relationship with a girlfriend. L.S. recounts that the worst part of his relationship with his ex was the exhausting daily quarrels that strongly traumatized him. L.S. says that the relationship he has established with his dolls has helped him to find serenity again. L.S. loves to return home, sit on the sofa and drink tea with his dolls. He says he can spend hours talking with his dolls without having to be afraid of argument. At night, L.S. also finds comfort in embracing his favorite doll and occasionally having sex with her. He considers the dolls to be an integral part of his life.Bob and Sakura, his favorite silicon doll, in a taxi on the way to a private house party. Dalian, China, 28 April 2018. Bob came of age during the 80s in China. He entered the world of silicone dolls in 2005, prior to divorcing his wife. Bob says that his generation loves playing console and computer games, so they are attracted to women who resemble the heroines of digital games rather than real women with real bodies. For this reason, they prefer silicone dolls whose exaggerated, sexualized bodies and faces come from fantasy worlds. Bob collects dolls made in China because they reflect this imagery in contrast to dolls made in Japan that more closely resemble the bodies of real women with more imperfections. Bob says that for him, the dolls are not sexual objects but are more like daughters or younger sisters whom he loves to spoil and adore. He buys clothes and perfumes for them and treats them with great care. Bob estimates that his relationship to the dolls comprises about 70% of his life, so he still manages to maintain a connection to real life with the remaining 30%.
L.S. having sex with Nana, one of his silicone dolls, Nanning, China,18 May 2018. L.S. is a 28 year old Chinese boy who began to be interested in silicone dolls after the end of a tormenting relationship with a girlfriend. L.S. recounts that the worst part of his relationship with his ex was the exhausting daily quarrels that strongly traumatized him. L.S. says that the relationship he has established with his dolls has helped him to find serenity again. L.S. loves to return home, sit on the sofa and drink tea with his dolls. He says he can spend hours talking with his dolls without having to be afraid of argument. At night, L.S. also finds comfort in embracing his favorite doll and occasionally having sex with her. He considers the dolls to be an integral part of his life.
Bob and Sakura, his favorite silicone doll, outside of the building where he lives. Dalian, China, 28 April 2018. Bob came of age during the 80s in China. He entered the world of silicone dolls in 2005, prior to divorcing his wife. Bob says that his generation loves playing console and computer games, so they are attracted to women who resemble the heroines of digital games rather than real women with real bodies. For this reason, they prefer silicone dolls whose exaggerated, sexualized bodies and faces come from fantasy worlds. Bob collects dolls made in China because they reflect this imagery in contrast to dolls made in Japan that more closely resemble the bodies of real women with more imperfections. Bob says that for him, the dolls are not sexual objects but are more like daughters or younger sisters whom he loves to spoil and adore. He buys clothes and perfumes for them and treats them with great care. Bob estimates that his relationship to the dolls comprises about 70% of his life, so he still manages to maintain a connection to real life with the remaining 30%.The variety of silicone dolls produced at the SANHUI factory in Nanning, southwest China. Nanning, China,16 May 2018. SANHUI is a leading silicone sex doll manufacturer established in 2010 and located in Nanning, China. The company was founded by a husband and wife team who have worked in the toy and doll business for over 20 years. Previous to starting SANHUI, they produced silicone dolls for a Japanese company. The production of SANHUI is geared mostly toward foreign markets, the United States of America in particular. The mission of the SANHUI is to produce silicone dolls with the possibility of total customization. Options include Jiggly Implants, Vagina Pigmentation, Nipple and Areola Pigmentation, customizable breast size, as well as any other preference the client might desire. One of the features that set SANHUI dolls apart is their ability to achieve varied silicone texture within a single doll. This allows the company to produce dolls with softer silicone in the breasts, making them more similar in feel to real human breasts.
L.S. holds Lily, his favorite doll, at the beach in BeiHai, China, 17 May 2018. L.S. is a 28 year old Chinese boy who began to be interested in silicone dolls after the end of a tormenting relationship with a girlfriend. L.S. recounts that the worst part of his relationship with his ex was the exhausting daily quarrels that strongly traumatized him. L.S. says that the relationship he has established with his dolls has helped him to find serenity again. L.S. loves to return home, sit on the sofa and drink tea with his dolls. He says he can spend hours talking with his dolls without having to be afraid of argument. At night, L.S. also finds comfort in embracing his favorite doll and occasionally having sex with her. He considers the dolls to be an integral part of his life.
The variety of silicone dolls produced at the SANHUI factory in Nanning, southwest China. The silicone dolls from the SANHUI factory are available in a wide variety of body shapes, skin tones, and breast sizes. Nanning, China, 16 May 2018. SANHUI is a leading silicone sex doll manufacturer established in 2010 and located in Nanning, China. The company was founded by a husband and wife team who have worked in the toy and doll business for over 20 years. Previous to starting SANHUI, they produced silicone dolls for a Japanese company. The production of SANHUI is geared mostly toward foreign markets, the United States of America in particular. The mission of the SANHUI is to produce silicone dolls with the possibility of total customization. Options include Jiggly Implants, Vagina Pigmentation, Nipple and Areola Pigmentation, customizable breast size, as well as any other preference the client might desire. One of the features that set SANHUI dolls apart is their ability to achieve varied silicone texture within a single doll. This allows the company to produce dolls with softer silicone in the breasts, making them more similar in feel to real human breasts.
