Delivery Platform In China Offering CNY Kowtowing Services; Same Company Had Tomb-Sweeping Services For Qing Ming Festival

A Henan-based delivery company, UU Paotui, has made the headlines for offering a very unique range of services this Chinese New Year. 

Earlier this week, the company launched three new festive season packages on its app, with three packages aimed at helping customers send new year greetings. 

The first tier, priced at 69 yuan (S$12.60), includes purchasing and putting up couplets and the “Fu” character, as well as cleaning the front door.

The second package costs 199 yuan (S$36.40) and covers buying and delivering festive gifts, conveying blessings according to the customer’s instructions, and collecting red packets from elders. Customers can also select up to three households for the visit.

The third package — also the most expensive and most controversial one — is priced at 999 yuan (S$183). For that it will include gift-giving with a one-minute delivery of blessings and the performance of a “traditional custom”, which includes kneeling and kowtowing to elders. Customers can also "customise" the service and watch it unfold in real time via livestream.

The services, carried out by delivery personnel, are reportedly available nationwide and can be booked with just a few taps on the platform’s app. 

The assigned delivery personnel will coordinate the details directly with the customer and are responsible only for the tasks listed in the selected package. Any additional expenses — including the cost of gifts, travel, and parking — are to be paid by the customer.

According to UU Paotui, the services are specially designed for those who are not able to return home during the festive season.

Speaking to Chinese media, an employee from the company said: "This is not a marketing stunt. It is about creating a warm emotional connection."

A company representative also emphasised that the kneeling and kowtowing service is not meant to replace personal visits, but rather to offer customers an alternative way to express respect to their elders.

However, the services have unsurprisingly sparked online discussion in China. 

While some praised the company’s innovative idea, saying it helps those unable to return home during Chinese New Year, others were strongly opposed to it.

Some felt the service could make family ties “more superficial”, while others argued that “filial piety should not be commercialised.”

“Kneeling and kowtowing are deeply personal acts tied to identity, reflecting both family bonds and individual dignity,” one netizen wrote.

The traditional Chinese practice of kowtowing, which involves kneeling and touching one’s forehead to the ground, dates back thousands of years. Historically performed as a gesture of deep respect toward parents, elders, or authority figures, it is still observed by some during important occasions, though the practice has become less common in modern times.

On Feb 11, just two days after launching its Chinese New Year services, UU Paotui removed the controversial kowtowing option from its platform, following public backlash, and kept only couplet-hanging, gift-buying, and greeting services.

Turns out, this isn't UU Paotui's first time offerings such personal services. The company, which was established in 2015, drew attention last year for its tomb-sweeping services during the Qing Ming Festival, with premium packages, including video recordings and cemetery cleaning, priced as high as 4,999 yuan (S$916).