Holiday means cosmetic surgery for Chinese

AFP, October, 2007

BEIJING (AFP) — A growing number of Chinese are spending their holidays going under the knife for cosmetic surgery, looking for an edge in an ever-tighter job market, state media reported Tuesday.

For some, this is the only free time they have to squeeze in a trip to the clinic while for others, the holiday allows time for bruises to heal and the bandages to come off without anyone catching on, the China Daily said.

"The seven-day holiday is the best opportunity for me to do it and recover, which will make me more beautiful and therefore boost my confidence at work and in my life," said Zhang Lin, a 25-year-old Beijing white-collar worker.

Cosmetic surgery is immensely popular in China with about one million operations performed every year.

The most...