A 20-year-old woman who works collecting and sorting rubbish in eastern China has gone from working at a refuse station to walking the runway after her striking looks caught the attention of a self-made “village supermodel”.
Known online by the alias Chaoren Leng, meaning “Superman Leng”, the woman helps her boyfriend’s father run his rubbish collection business in Taizhou, Zhejiang province.
Born Leng Minghui in a village in Fuyang, Anhui province, she first attracted widespread attention in July last year after videos of her working at the refuse collection station were shared online.
Viewers were captivated by her 1.81-metre height, slim 50kg frame and chiselled features, which stood in sharp contrast to her dirt-stained work clothes and the piles of rubbish around her.
“Her legs should grace the runway,” one internet user commented, while another compared her to Lu Xianren, a well-known Chinese model who also grew up in a rural family.
Lu, 27, was raised by his grandparents in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region after his parents moved to Guangdong for work.
A self-taught model, he first gained attention by posting videos of himself performing distinctive catwalks in rural fields. He rose to fame in 2019 through his self-designed couture creations and unconventional fashion shows.
He has since appeared at major fashion events in China and overseas, including China Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week.
After seeing Leng online, Lu praised her as a “born supermodel” and began sharing modelling and catwalk tips with her.
He also helped introduce her to modelling opportunities.
Leng eventually made her runway debut at Shenzhen’s SS26 Fashion Source in November last year. She appeared in an orange outfit inspired by latiao, the popular spicy-strip snack, and received enthusiastic applause from the audience.
She has since collaborated with brands including Chinese carmaker CHERY and luxury art brand Zhu Bingren Copper.
Despite receiving offers from several modelling agencies, Leng has reportedly turned them down, choosing instead to remain with her boyfriend’s family and continue working at their rubbish collection business.
Her decision is closely tied to her difficult childhood.
Leng’s parents divorced and left their hometown when she was just one year old, leaving her to be raised by her grandparents in the village.
When she was 15, her grandfather died and she was forced to leave school. She subsequently worked various jobs, including as an assembly line worker and cashier, as well as taking on other odd jobs.
Her life changed after she met her boyfriend. His family welcomed her and provided financial support for her to complete her secondary education.
After graduating last summer, Leng sat for China’s national university entrance examination, known as the gaokao. However, her results were only enough to secure a place at a junior college.
She ultimately decided to stay with her boyfriend’s family and help with their rubbish-handling business instead.
Her videos show a close relationship with the family, with Leng affectionately referring to her boyfriend’s 64-year-old father as “Dad” because of the support he has given her.
Despite her growing popularity, Leng says she sees rubbish collection and modelling as two separate parts of her life.
“Collecting rubbish is a means to have a full meal, while modelling is a dream. These two paths do not conflict,” she said in one of her social media videos.
She also acknowledged that opportunities in modelling are limited and said she would need to work harder to succeed.
“I am fully aware that opportunities in modelling are rare for me. I must double my efforts,” she said.
Leng is now focusing on improving her runway technique, including her catwalk, head turns and poses.
“Only by doing so can I truly shine on the runway,” she said.
