Cinderella needs more than a pair of glass slippers to net her prince, according to a south China company, which is preparing girls for overnight ascent to richness by getting them ready to marry rich bachelors.

 

Shenzhen-based Zuanyuan (or diamond affinity) Information Co. opened a so-called "diamond lady class" last month, offering 10 courses including image building, household management and perfect manners, according to a report in Nanfang Daily.

 

The objective is to "permit the ladies to meet rich bachelors' requirements for a wife", said company General Manager Wu Jintao.

 

"Many young girls dream about marrying rich men so that they can enjoy a better social and economic life, while on the other hand, unmarried rich men find it hard to find someone who meets their criteria for a perfect wife," Wu said.

 

"We are helping the Cinderellas find their princes, or the other way around," he said.

 

The company also provides match-making services for rich bachelors, charging from 60,000 yuan to 1 million yuan (US$7,500 to US$125,000), claiming to be in touch with the country's richest men, including Ding Lei, CEO of NetEase.

 

The "diamond lady class" costs each program participant 20,000 to 50,000 yuan (US$2,500 to US$6,250) and promises to later introduce them to single rich men.

 

But the training courses seem to have so far failed to stir girls' hearts. Few have signed up for the program, although the company insisted that hundreds have expressed an interest.

 

Critics from the Nanfang Daily described the training courses as a "crazy bet," and called for people to get rich themselves instead of becoming "a rich man's accessory" through marriage.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 11, 2006)