Jiang Chan was back on the catwalk last night trying to prove she is a beauty queen.

Having competed for the titles Miss Super Model and Miss Best Hairstyle, the student from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, was in Shanghai to contend for the title Miss Kite.

She won, becoming one of six women from the city as well as Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces to earn the title. The six will join 156 other Miss Kites from around the country to take part in the 21st Weifang International Kite Festival in Shandong Province at the end of April.

Beauty contests were rare events in China five years ago but are now held on an almost weekly basis.

Sociologists attribute the trend to China's shift to the market economy.

However, Jiang said the contests have made her a better person.

"They help me to open my mind," said the leggy 22-year-old.

Zhang youde, a sociology professor at the University of Shanghai, said the overwhelming number of "Miss X" competitions has more negative influences than positive.

"Although intelligence is usually one of the judging standards, a beautiful face is obviously most important," said Zhang.

The fact that so many companies and events are using the same technique shows that they lack imagination, said Zhang.

One organizer of the Miss Kite competition disagrees, saying the 30 million yuan (US$3.6 million) spent on the event was money well spent. "It will help to improve the influence of our kite festival internationally," said Han Mingguang.

(eastday.com  March 31, 2004)