The search for Mr. Shanghai
(eastday.com)
Updated: 2004-09-08 09:00

First came Miss Shanghai and now it's the boy's turn for the pageant that has the town talking, writes Zhao Feifei.

Contestants at round one of the Mr Shanghai beauty pageant which aims to represent the male spirit of the city. [shanghai daily]

The Shanghai man is very lovely," wrote Lung Ying-tai, a famous female Taiwanese writer. "He will not feel despised even if he buys groceries, cooks and cleans the floor. He will not feel low even if he washes his woman's underwear. He speaks softly without thinking that he lacks muscular mettle. He will not feel weak if his woman is strong ..."

Some says the "softness" of Shanghai men brings "shame" upon all Chinese men. The reputation of Shanghai men has been dragged through the mud for long enough and it's time it was straightened out.

Recently, about 300 local men signed up for the city's first Mr Shanghai beauty pageant and 120 were shortlisted for the first round of contest at Suzhou Amusement Park in neighboring Jiangsu Province last Saturday. At the end of this month the contestants will go to Zhejiang Province for two days of survival training. The final will be held at the end of next month in Shanghai.

One of the pageant's goals is to show that Shanghai man should be appreciated and their bodies are not weak at all.

The Mr Shanghai pageant, which comes less than a year after Miss Shanghai, is part of the national Mr China contest.

"We want people to appreciate manly beauty, which represents strength and courage. It also represents the spirit and the image of our city," says Hu Nan, head of the Mr Shanghai organizing committee.

Competitors will not only be judged on appearance but also knowledge, outdoor survival skills and public service activities. The first three winners will represent Shanghai in the national contest in November in Beijing.

One of the hopefuls is Jiang Lejun, 25, who says: "Shanghai's history and its location make the city more open-minded toward male and female equality.

"I think it's sweet and sexy to put on an apron and cook a nice meal for the woman I love. It has nothing to do with being sissy. I found many of my friends - French and German - are all very good at taking care of women. The so-called 'xiao nanren' (little man) is only a superficial understanding."

Jiang has been back in Shanghai for just six weeks. He went to Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland to study hotel management five years ago. When Jiang and his Japanese fiancee heard about the contest on the radio, they agreed to sign up. "I've left Shanghai for a long time. I believe the contest will give me a good opportunity to get to know more people. It's fun," says Jiang.

Ever since Jiang registered as an applicant, his fiancee has made a special nutritional diet for his body-building program. His morning diet consists of 20 grams of soy beans, 10 grams of hazel nut, 25 grams of pine nuts, one banana and a glass of yogurt.

Wu Bing, a 38-year-old manager from a shipping company, is one of the oldest applicants. Wu's 12-year-old daughter was shocked to learn her father will compete in the beauty pageant.

So what motivated him to participate in the contest?

"I have many business friends from the northern part of the country," he says. "They often mock the Shanghai man's softness. They look at me strangely when I tell them I cook at home. They say Shanghai men have thin and weak bodies, like a reed. I try to let them know that Shanghai men are real men. I try to put across the philosophy of Shanghai men."

Liu Meiqin, 26, a public relations staff, says Shanghai men are more family-oriented compared with northern men.

"They are more practical and down-to-earth. They always put family first. They do things for the peace of the family," she says.

Yuan Yilin, 25, however, disagrees.

"Shanghai men need more of a 'can-do' spirit when it comes to careers," she says. "It's true that the number of Shanghainese male white-collar workers is higher than the rest of the country. But you find that local men don't reach the high ranks and positions in most companies."

Tong Cheng, 23, ended up in the contest because his girlfriend challenged him to it.

"We've been together for a long time," he says. "Passion wears off a little bit. I want to give her a whole fresh 'me' through the training for the contest."

There are also many college graduates entering the pageant.

Li Zhen, 25, a corporate management graduate student from East China University of Science and Technology, always believes "if you've got it - flaunt it."

Quite confident in his appearance, he thinks the contest helps to "market" himself.

"Unlike other model contests, Mr Shanghai has more depth and character," he says. "I think people should take the time to watch the competition."

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