Unstable income

Because of her outstanding appearance and diligence, Sun gained her first taste of fame in the modeling circle at the age of 16. She surprised the judges and spectators with her talent, and won second place at the 2006 Asia Supermodel competition. She was also the champion of that competition of China area.

"I was already capable of taking care of myself at a young age," Sun says. "Since 2006, instead of asking for money from parents, every year I give some to them," she says.

Dang Jiani, who also won many awards, says that only after performing well at competitions or receiving media attention do models receive good pay and stable working conditions.

"Many models, especially the newcomers, are really like little ants that gather in colonies, sometimes underground in basements, and working and struggling," she says.

Sun and Dang, who have both achieved success in the industry, are the lucky ones. Others, like Zhao Jing, have trouble breaking into the industry. Zhao, 21, from Changchun, capital of Jilin province, worked at a modeling agency in Beijing, but ran into financial trouble and left the industry.

Zhao says she could not find any sense of belonging in the big city and the high rent and intense workload were unbearable for a woman at her young age. She returned to Changchun and went back to college. But Zhao says she has no regrets.

"After all, it was a very valuable experience for me. I learned it is not an easy way to earn money."

Dang says that models - like migrant workers - are not always paid on time. She says it's common that models go a year and a half before they are paid for their services. "If you want to survive in this profession, then you have to follow some illegal rules," she says.

Body language

"A nice body and a good looking face do not mean you can be a good auto model. Auto models should use body language to showcase the car and make the audience like the cars because of their performances. Some of the shows are very fantastic and they are an important part of a successful auto show," Dang says.

According to Dang, most of audiences are well-behaved, but some people try to take pictures of the models private parts or even touch them. "We have all developed a set of methods to keep from being harassed while not annoying the people," she said.