A job post on a job-hunting website based in Xinyang, a city in southern Henan province, said, “West Jiuhua Mountain scenic spot is hiring full-time tea-leaf pickers. A prospective employee has to be a woman with no sexual experience, has a bra size of at lease C, and has no scar or wound visible on her body with a uniform. The post came under fire for its absurdity and vulgarity.
In response to the buzz on the internet, the employer, a management company at the scenic spot, said, “It’s true. It is to pass on traditions.” The company also said that on April 16, a tea culture festival will be kicked off featuring 10 C-cup virgins chosen from all job candidates performing picking tea leaves.
According to the job ad, tea-leaf pickers will be required to collect “mouth lip tea (kou chun cha 口唇茶)” during the harvest season. They must clean their mouths and bodies on time every day and work out often. The daily pay is 500 yuan, or $75.
The so-called “mouth lip tea” comes from a legend that tea leaves used to be picked by fairy maidens with their mouths. When boiling water is poured onto these tea leaves, fairy maidens will ascend amidst steam into the sky. Tea made from these leaves has refreshing aroma and taste and can even cure diseases.
It is also said that at the beginning of the last century, some Chinese tea sellers experimented with the idea of “tea in front of breasts.” Virgins at the age of 16 were asked to start picking leaves in the middle of the night and put leaves into their clothes between their breasts. When they finished their work before sunrise, the leaves should have absorbed enough of the virgins’ body scent, and could make great tea. This practice phased out even before it ever had the chance to become widespread.
The hiring company expects girls they hire to keep tea leaves in their mouths before making tea out of them. Virginity and curviness are selling points the company exploits to convince customers that such tea is of yin (femininity) and purity.
Pickers are asked to gather tea leaves by their mouths and spit them into a “holder” placed between their breasts
Pictures taken on the opening ceremony of the tea culture festival which begins on April 16 and lasts until May 18.
Many netizens think it is a cheeky publicity stunt that objectifies and disrespects females. Some even think the company has self-serving interests.
Selected comments from NetEase
网易河南省郑州市网友 I wonder how the bosses of the company are going to test if an applicant is a C-cup virgin or not?
网易广东省深圳市网友 The era when moral standards are degrading…
网易江西省宜春市网友 Serve the bosses.
网易山东省济南市网友 Curry favor by claptrap. Too vulgar. I suggest the relevant department investigate into the matter. It’s harmful to the society’s morals.
网易福建省福州市网友 [我非真神]：The purpose of this is very obvious: employees pick tea leaves during the day; bosses of the scenic spot deflowers (them) during the night.
网易广东省河源市手机网友 He has money and can afford to hire. You have the right to go if you have the qualifications. I don’t think there is anything wrong.
网易上海市网友 This is nothing wrong. Now the society’s morals are no longer there. There are too few virgins. Keep searching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
网易河北省保定市网友 [善于学习] To be honest, this kind of thing can only happen in the heavenly kingdom.
网易山东省淄博市网友: The job requires the applicant to be woman with no sexual experience and bra size of C and up. This is one in a million. 1, Very few of those who have no sexual experience have a bra size of C and up. 2, Most of those who have a bra size of C and up have had sexual experience. Such hiring is as hard as climbing into the sky. Sheer stunt!
