Asia & the Pacific, Weird, Odd & Just Plain Fun



A Chinese modelling agency made headlines this week when they organised a bikini parade to help airlines find new employees.

A bikini parade was part of the event to recruit air hostesses

A bikini parade was part of the event to recruit air hostesses Image by Oriental Beauty website

Oriental Beauty held the event earlier this week in Qingdao, with approximately 1,000 female high school graduates taking part. Successful applicants will be invited to become either a model or an air hostess.

Some of the conditions to apply included the need to be at least 5”6, elegant, slim, have a “sweet” voice and no visible scars. The agency said it organised the event to make it easier for recruiters to find talent.

The contest is not unusual in China, where air hostess roles are very competitive. In 2011, a reality TV show saw tens of thousands of young women apply to participate in a pageant to win a job at China Southern Airlines. Applicants were judged on their marital status, leg shape and height-to-weight ratio.