China's 'Michael Jackson' a cut ahead in surgery

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-11-17 19:44

After getting divorced in 1984, Shi resolved to mend the facial flaws she said had hindered her and launched a new career.

She became a cosmetic surgeon herself for more than 10 years before opening her clinic in Beijing about a decade ago.

The clean white lobby at the clinic breathes narcissism. It is decorated with long mirrors, explanatory diagrams, flawless post-surgery portraits and a wax sculpture of Shi and two clients.

Its prolific advertising draws women of all ages searching for boosts to their confidence, love lives or job prospects.

"There's a saying that puts it well, which is that beauty is competitive power," said Shi Jing, an 18-year-old waiting in the clinic for nose surgery.

Looking good could make it easier to stand out in a country of 1.3 billion, she said. "In an interview, how is it possible for them to discover things about you in a three, short minutes."

This competition for everything, and the belief that good looks give an edge, has helped Shi secure a home in Beijing's expensive and fashionable business district and send her son to study in the United States.

Shi says she has no regrets, though the comparison to Michael Jackson irks her.

"The key difference between me and Michael Jackson is that he violated the laws of nature, while I am following them," Shi said. "How can you change yourself from black to white?"

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