The "image ambassador" for the 2005 Shanghai Tourism Pageant may turn out to be a blond-haired, blue-eyed laowai (foreigner).  

Of the 1,200 applicants registered so far, 10 are expatriates from the United States, France and Australia, the first time since the event began three years ago that people from overseas have been allowed to take part.

Yao Shuoye, a spokesman for the Shanghai Tourism Commission, said yesterday that for the first time, the commission has got rid of the requirement that candidates be locals living in Shanghai for at least five years.

He said every candidate is now given an equal chance regardless of gender and nationality.

The image ambassador will represent the city as host or hostess of ceremonies and interpreter at various promotional activities at home and abroad.

"As long as candidates have a strong communicative ability and look friendly, nationality is not an issue," he said.

Thomas Morillon, from La Rochelle of France, is one of the foreign hopefuls.

Morillon has traveled to a number of Chinese cities such as Hong Kong, Kunming and Qingdao, before he settled down in Shanghai last September.

Morillon teaches French at a local language school and magic to pupils at a French school.

His involvement in the pageant was a sheer accident. Walking on the street, he was handed a flyer about the pageant. Curious, he went to the application office.

He did not know what it really meant until a local reporter approached him and asked him questions.

"I was even more interested when I found out what it was all about," he said.

Morillon said he is fascinated by China's traditional culture, and that Shanghai is a good blend of traditional and modern cultures.

"I can speak fluent putonghua (Mandarin), have a good understanding of Chinese culture and have stayed in Shanghai for almost a year. These are my advantages," he said.

To him, Shanghai is a city with an open mind and great potential.

"If I were the image ambassador, I would be very happy to promote Shanghai's economic and especially cultural exchanges with other cities and countries," he said.

The application deadline is on Friday.

The first round of competition will start at the end of this month, and the finals will take place on September 27 during this year's tourism festival.

(China Daily July 12, 2005)