Downton Abbey is one of Britain 's most successful television dramas . And it seems the show has even influenced affluent households thousands of miles away in China . Young Chinese people are paying £140 per day to train as butlers as an increasing number of wealthy families hire help , the People 's Daily Online reported . Students at the International Butler Academy , in Chengdu , are drilled daily on ironing perfect creases into tablecloths , polishing silverware and identifying the correct cutlery to accompany an eight-course banquet . Students at the International Butler Academy in Chengdu , China , pay £140 per day to train as butlers as an increasing number of wealthy Chinese families hire help . Tasks also include balancing a platter and placing food on a plate using just a fork and spoon . Thomas Kaufmann , head instructor at the school , said : 'Downton Abbey is so famous here in China , that is the standard we are measured at . 'In the last few years the demand for butlers has become bigger and bigger . So it is logical for us to have teachers here . ' Mr Hu is one of dozens of students who have enrolled in the school 's six-week course , which costs 40,000 yuan ( £4,300 ) . He previously worked for U.S. casino magnate Steve Wynn , where tasks included wiping fingerprints from his phone and picking out particular chocolates from assortment packs . He said : 'In the whole world there are more and more rich people . And especially in China , they want someone to take care of the smaller things . They are drilled daily on ironing perfect creases into tablecloths , polishing silverware and identifying the correct cutlery to accompany an eight-course banquet . Students must also be able to put food on a plate just using a fork and spoon . Above , a pupil uses plastic balls to train . The boom in butlers matches a growing interest in British television drama Downton Abbey . Above , head butler Carson and Mrs Hughes in the hit show . 'Butlers do n't only serve wealthy families , but also multinational bosses . These people are successful . To make these kind of people feel relaxed and happy , I get a sense of achievement . ' Each morning classes start with a round of dusting , cleaning and polishing . Students are also expected to be able to correctly position a water jug . A butter-knife laid a centimetre out of place can lead to failure . Using rulers to make sure the distances are correct is not unknown . Another student Chrissy Yan described the training - especially laying a table - as 'hard ' . But she said : ' I want to lead a team of Chinese butlers which will be known worldwide . I want to be asked to travel the world . ' The Academy , a beautiful house , opened in response to the increasing demand for domestic servants . Men and women are allowed to train as butlers and complete the same tasks before they finish . Above , two students pour tea . Cutlery , plates and jugs have to be perfectly in line and students fail if they are a centimetre out of place . A butler can typically expect to earn 20,000 yuan ( £2,150 ) a month . Their duties also include more mundane tasks such as fetching groceries , walking the dog , organising cleaning staff and polishing furniture and shoes . The Academy is Dutch-run but partly backed by a Chinese real-estate firm , which offers butler services to potential homeowners as the property market gets tougher . Mr Kaufmann added : 'It is easier to train a Chinese person in the butler trade than it is to train a Western butler in Chinese language and culture . ' China is home to more than a million people with assets above £1million , according to wealth publisher Hurun . Between 2004 and 2010 the number of Chinese billionaires rose from three to 64 . A short stroll away from the Academy a billboard for a new housing estate shows a grinning man in a suit and bow tie , promising to bring 'the elegance of British butlering service into everyday life ' . A spokesman for developer Langji Real Estate , said : 'We provide a butler for each private villa . Our customers have been very happy . ' China is home to more than a million people with assets above £1million , according to wealth publisher Hurun . Between 2004 and 2010 the number of Chinese billionaires rose from three to 64 . The country 's elite have employed servants for centuries and numbers are expected to swell in coming years .
International Butler Academy charges 40,000 yuan ( £4,300 ) for coming years . Tasks include polishing and placing a water jug correctly on a table . China is home to more than a million people with assets above £1million .