- A 66-year-old Chinese woman spent two million yuan on online shopping and hoarded goods
- She rented a second apartment to store thousands of unopened packages and items
- The woman bought mainly gold jewellery, health supplements, and cosmetics
A Chinese woman has reportedly spent an astonishing two million yuan, approximately Rs 2.4 crore, on online shopping. She has even rented an entire apartment solely to store her unopened goods.
Identified only by her surname, Wang, the 66-year-old woman lives alone in the Jiading district. She accumulated thousands of packages over the years, filling her flat to the brim and leaving little room to walk around or sleep properly, the South China Morning Post reported.
Wang primarily hoards the unopened goods in her house. Her neighbours have frequently reported seeing cockroaches and flies surrounding her flat; they have also complained about the unpleasant odour.
The elderly woman reportedly grew so obsessed with hoarding that she rented a second home just to store packages. Wang acknowledged that although she had a lot of stuff, she hardly ever opened it, preferring to enjoy the "excitement" of online shopping.
The 66-year-old added that she preferred to waste money to prevent her friends and family from coming to beg for money from her.
"I purchased this house in the suburban Jiading district a few years ago after selling my flat in the city area. It is simple for others to assume that I have a lot of money left in my pocket," Wang was quoted as saying.
She reportedly decided to spend money on purchases to keep others from borrowing it from her. "They will feel it is inappropriate to ask me to lend them money when they see piles of stuff in my home," she added.
Wang claimed that she typically made purchases during live-streaming events, and primarily purchased gold jewellery, health supplements, and cosmetics.
Wang can't find a spot to sleep because the parcels are stacked to the roof of her room. She also has an underground garage full of items she purchased.
With Wang's consent, the residential committee planned a cleanup in May last year, but the hoarding continued.
Videos from Wang's flat have gone viral on social media sites like Douyin and Instagram, evoking both sympathy and concern, the SCMP report added. Many observed that the hoarding habit went beyond simple pleasure, implying that older people in metropolitan China were experiencing a mental health crisis, social isolation, and loneliness.
Shi Yanfeng, a psychiatrist in Shanghai, told the media that social anxiety and despair were common in patients with hoarding issues, adding that their treatment was a lifelong process.
