But today, her life as a man is well and truly history for Jin, who is now a charming woman, according to well-known TV anchor Chen Luyu.

"I have never seen Jin Xing not gorgeous."

Jin says there are no such thing as an ugly woman, only lazy ones.

"A necklace, or a pair high-heels, oh you should wear high heels! Ankles are god's gift to women. You should show them well."

Jin has a passion for wearing skirts. Dancers in her company say she "floats" all day in her dresses. Even when traveling on a plane, she wears long skirts.

"Someone may say it is not as convenient as jeans, but how troublesome could that be?" Jin says.

"Skirts make your whole gesture charming. Pay a little attention to your look, make everyone who sees you feel beauty, what's wrong with that?"

Her beauty does not come from designer brands or haute couture, neither does she favor make-up.

Her high-heel shoes are bought from Xiangyang Road, a street market in Shanghai, as was her scarf. Her skirt was from a young and not so famous French designer.

According to traditional Chinese "beauty" standards, Jin is hardly classified a belle. Her eyes are not big enough, and her lips seem a bit too thick.

But her flowing hair, elegant body shape, and chatty nature help form her own charisma.

"Don't forget, I had 28 years of being a man. I lived among them, listening to them talking about women all the day," she says.

(China Daily May 14,2008)