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A hand model shows off her best asset. Photo: Courtesy of Wu Tao

By Wang Yufeng

Model Xu Xiaoting smiled at the camera with an engagement ring bracing her finger. However after the photographer took the shot only her hand appeared in the picture.

Though I am just 163 centimeters tall, I have very nice hands, said Xu proudly. Xu is a hand model, whose hands appear in jewelry advertisements and catalogues.

One year ago, one of her classmates commented on the 21-year-olds hands and said she would make a good hand model. Although previously unaware that there even was such a profession, Xu was eager to give it a try.

After contacting a few modeling agencies online and sending shots of her hands, Xu was offered several modeling assignments. There should be no scar on your palms; also your fingers should be long and straight. They should not be too bony or too fat, and most importantly the contours of your hand must be curvy, said Xu.

With the increase in consumerism on the Chinese mainland, more and more girls with striking body parts are finding work.

Possessing a good pair of hands or legs can guarantee, an otherwise average, girl regular modeling work. Most of them are college students, especially from arts departments.

For them its a part-time job, said Wu Tao, who manages Aixiuba Modeling Agency. After working in the marketing department of a stocking manufacturing company, Wu decided to start a modeling agency after noticing an increasing demand for leg models.

However, these models need more than attractive body parts. They also need their fair share of caution and skepticism to survive in an industry that is full of predators.

Girls who aspire to enter the world of modeling constantly risk being cheated, and the risks are just as prevalent for body parts models. Leg model Xiang Zhiqiu, who has been modeling for one year, encountered many scams when she first entered the industry.

Coming from a poor family, the high school graduate was desperate to find work when she first decided to model. She once found a modeling agency online, who said they could provide her opportunities after she paid an upfront fee of 500 yuan ($76).

Although she was skeptical, Xiang gave her entire savings of 200 yuan to the alleged agency. After the agency took several pictures of Xiang she never heard from them again.

According to Xiang, being scammed out of money is minor compared to other risks body parts models face. Xiang once received a call claiming that a stocking manufacturer required a leg model for a shoot. However, when Xiang arrived at the shoot, the photographer demanded that she remove all her clothes.

The photographer insisted that they needed to take a series of pictures of Xiang without any clothing, then a series of her wearing only stockings and finally a series of her wearing clothes.

Although the photographer promised not to leak the pictures, Xiang refused. It was ridiculous. They just wanted to take nude pictures. It had nothing to do with fashion, said Xiang. If I had just started modeling, I perhaps would have agreed to do it. But after a year in the industry, I was more aware of their true intentions.

Because of her industry experience Xiang was suspicious when she first arrived at the shoot. As soon as I stepped into the hotel, I felt something was up.

The room was on the second floor and received hardly any natural light, said Xiang. An actual fashion photographer would usually do the shoot in a high-rise building with a window that provides ample natural light, or use an actual photo studio.

After Xiang left the hotel room she passed the reception desk of the hotel and asked to see a copy of the photographers ID card so she could record his details. It was totally different, the photographer was very skinny, not fat like the picture on the ID card, said Xiang.

A leg model, who once worked with Xiang at an auto show, told Xiang that she was once almost raped when she went to an interview for a modeling assignment.

She went to an agent who claimed to recruit models. As soon as she entered the interview room the man asked whether she was willing to have sex with him, said Xiang. She refused, but the man tried to overpower her. During the struggle she managed to slide out of her coat and escape.

What happened to Xiangs colleague was not an isolated incident, according to the Guangdong-based New Express Daily, a man surnamed Yang who once worked at an advertising agency, took advantage of his knowledge of the advertising industry to lure models into a trap.

Yang posted an Internet advertisement asking for leg models. The legitimate-looking advertisement fooled one unfortunate model who answered it and was eventually raped by Yang. 

My friend was lucky, there was only one man in the room when she arrived, if two people were there, it would be harder for her to escape, said Xiang. When you see an online advertisement offering a super high price, such as 2,000 yuan for one hours work, dont believe it.

Xiang regularly appears in advertisements on taobao.com, an online shopping website. She now earns 5,000 yuan a month. She is also studying accounting at night school as she realizes that leg modeling will not pay the bills forever.

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