Ten highly-trained domestic helpers - charging up to three times the price of an ordinary ayi - enter the local employment market this week.
The nine maids and one male helper, introduced by the Shanghai Laibang Household Services, are from a training center in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. They will charge 2,500 yuan (US$301) to 3,500 yuan per month, making them as expensive as the famous Philippine counterparts.
The average price for a full-time helper in Shanghai is 1,000 yuan a month.
The domestic helpers are experienced professionals with a high school diploma, as well as an advanced industry qualification and good English or Japanese.
"They will be versatile and show initiative," said Li Rong, general manager of the Laibang Household.
Li believes expatriates, especially those with a big family, will be their major customers.
Despite their claimed competence, whether the helpers are worth the high prices will depend on their employers, according to an industry insider. "It's not qualifications, but experience, that makes a good domestic helper."