The catwalk is no cakewalk

Dang Jiani's outstanding appearance and work ethic have helped her win many awards at modeling competitions. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Dan Jiani, a top car show model, says achieving success in the profession requires a lot of hard work. He Na reports.

It's - 2 C outside in a suburb of Beijing, and Dang Jiani is leaning against a black luxury car with a smile on her face.

She's wearing a short silk red dress, with her arms and legs exposed to the cold. Dang is here for a photo shoot to promote a new car. When the photographer stops to take a break, Dang quickly puts on warmer clothes and jumps to keep her legs and feet from freezing.

"It's part of my job, and I am already used to it. The dress is much better than a bikini, isn't it?" Dang jokes.

Dang is a model from Inner Mongolia who has been working in Beijing for several years.

Dang's parents are both tall, and she was already 1.75 m when she was only 14. Her father wanted her to play basketball or volleyball, but her mother preferred that she pursue a career in the arts.

Dang studied at an art school in Dalian, Liaoning province, and then took a college entrance examination for fashion design and modeling at Inner Mongolia University.

Her outstanding appearance and work ethic have helped Dang win many awards at modeling competitions; she was champion of the 2007 China International Automobile Model Contest.

Unlike most models, Dang isn't registered under a company. She is her own boss.

"The modeling industry is not a fantasy world, as so many girls expect. For each show or automobile fair the pay is also very limited. Also, the modeling company takes a large cut, so the money that goes into the model's pocket even less," Dang says.