Celestine Mampouya from the Republic of the Congo drapes herself in her national flag. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Beautiful both outside and in

Karla Pudou, a 26-year-old student from The Gabonese Republic, won the talent show section with a kickboxing display that impressed the judges.

Weighing a curvy 120 kilograms, Pudou was not the only one left breathless by her powerful display.

"In my own country, people like plus-sized figures, because [it indicates] high social status and wealth," Pudou said. "[But] since coming to China three years ago, I've been lost. I couldn't find clothes and shoes that fit, and some people have even come up to me on the street to ask me why I eat so [much] and became so fat."

Pudou said she exercises for one and a half hours each day, not to lose weight, but to stay healthy. "Being fat does not mean that we are just eating and doing nothing, that we are lazy asses," Pudou said.

"People's DNA are different. It's not our choice to be big. The important thing is to be healthy, and to accept yourself and your natural beauty."

She said she was saddened by the fact that many Chinese girls seemed to think they were "ugly" if they gained a little weight. "I want to tell those girls even if you are big, you can still have a wonderful life," she said.

Liang Yushi, former assistant dean of the People's Liberation Army Academy of Art and one of six judges on the night, said that the evening showed people that conventional definitions of beauty were too narrow.

"I think plus-sized beauty pageants can help people see the beauty of human nature, to realize that everyone has their own beauty," said Liang.

Another judge, Doron Reshen, said that his criterion for scoring the pageant was based on the contestants' poise and grace.

"[I was interested in] how they handled themselves, and the picture they portrayed of themselves," said Reshen.