- Title: CHINA: BEIJING HOSTS THE COUNTRY'S FIRST 'MISS PLASTIC SURGERY' BEAUTY CONTEST
- Date: 13th December 2004
- Summary: (L!1) BEIJING, CHINA (DECEMBER 12, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) ( * BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) VARIOUS: OF PARTICIPANTS GETTING HAIR AND MAKEUP DONE FOR OPENING NEWS CONFERENCE (3 SHOTS) CU: CONTESTANTS' BODIES CU: CONTESTANT'S FACE LAS: CONTESTANTS GETTING HAIR DONE CU: OF CAMERAMAN WS: CONTESTANT WALKING ONTO STAGE
- Embargoed: 28th December 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City:
- Country: China
- Topics: Entertainment,Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA4NZSSSN0X5MODIZ6RQZ124IE7
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: China awaits crowning of 1st Miss Plastic Surgery.
Being beautiful is every woman's dream. But looking good naturally is no longer enough - competition is so tough that some women are being driven to extremes.
Beijing is celebrating a bevy of beauties that have pulled out all the stops for that perfect look with its first "Artificial Beauty" contest.
Twenty long-legged contestants, including one who has undergone a sex-change operation, ranging from 17 to 62 years of age will flaunt their surgical enhancements.
They lined up to strut their stuff, and show off their gifts for a charity auction during the pageant's opening ceremony on Sunday (December 12).
"I hope this pageant can reflect women's strong desire to beautify themselves and seek after their own unique style. I hope it will also show off both the contestants' morals and intelligence, and make the event first and foremost about the people. I also hope it will lead people to a correct understanding of man-made beauty and scientific plastic surgery," said Wang Wei (pron: wahng way), one of the pageant organisers.
Some contestants hope that this event will help people rethink the plastic surgery phenomenon.
"I hope people will not misunderstand plastic surgery.
They shouldn't think 'why have these people undergone surgery even though they are not sick?'. This is a positive thing. It will be helpful for us in every facet of life,"
said contestant Wang Wuan.
The contest is the latest addition to the country's beauty pageant scene after Miss World was held in the southern island of Hainan for two years in a row.
The finals for Miss Artificial Beauty are to due to be held next Saturday (December 18) , when contestants ranging from 17 to 62 years of age will parade their surgical nips and tucks.
For some, it is about more than winning the crown.
"Since I am here, I will try my best. This event will bring more colour to my life. If I do my best it is good enough," said Zhang Shuang.
Organisers dreamt up the pageant after one contestant who splashed 110,000 yuan ($13,000) on improving her looks attempted to sue them for disqualifying her from a contest in May.
China banned beauty pageants after the Communists swept to power in 1949 and did not enter the Miss World Competition, which started two years later, until 2001.
Extreme makeovers are becoming a fad in China among those hoping for movie-star looks -- raising concerns about the nation's rapidly growing, but unregulated plastic surgery busines - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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