- Delivery company UU Paotui offers couriers for Lunar New Year duties nationwide
- Three service packages range from 39 yuan to 999 yuan with varying tasks
- Highest package includes live-streamed traditional koutou ceremony for elders
A delivery company in central China has started a new service that has created debate online. The company is offering to send couriers to perform traditional New Year duties for people who cannot visit their families during the Spring Festival. Some people find the idea helpful, while others feel uncomfortable about it.
On February 9th, Henan-based company UU Paotui temporarily launched a new feature on its app. This service offers three different packages for those who want to send Lunar New Year greetings to their families.
The first package costs 39 yuan for one hour. It includes purchasing and placing couplets and 'Fu' symbols, and light door cleaning.
The second package costs 199 yuan for two hours. It includes purchasing gifts, offering brief greetings, and collecting laisi (omens) from elders. The courier then transfers the money to the customer.
The third and most attractive package combines the first two services. It includes a one-minute greeting and the traditional koutou (koutou) ceremony for elders. This package costs 999 yuan for two hours, and customers can watch the entire ceremony live via video streaming.
How The Service Works
The app shows that 175 orders have been received so far. This service is available nationwide and can be booked just like food delivery.
Couriers work with customers to determine addresses, gifts, and greetings. Their job is simply to complete the agreed-upon task. The customer bears all other expenses, such as gifts, travel, and parking.
The company says this service is designed for those who cannot travel home during the Spring Festival holidays.
Company Vision
A company employee told Jimu News that this is not a temporary promotional campaign, but rather aims to create an emotional connection between people. A company representative also clarified that the Kotou service is not intended to replace personal companionship, but rather to provide a unique way to express respect.
What Is Kotou
Kotou is a traditional Chinese practice in which a person kneels down and places their forehead on the ground. Its roots are believed to date back to the Zhou Dynasty and gained further importance during the Qin Dynasty, when people bowed in this manner before the emperor. Even today, it is considered a way of expressing gratitude to parents or teachers, but in modern times, in some circumstances, it is also viewed negatively and associated with subservience or flattery.
A courier surnamed Wang explained that on the first day of the Lunar New Year, he was assigned to deliver greetings to a customer's parents, and the customer asked him to dress appropriately. He also said that he hadn't received any orders for kotou service yet, but if one came along, he was ready to accept.
He said that there was no shame in earning money by kotou or kneeling, as they earned their income through hard work.
