Supermodels and flight attendants may seem like occupations that are a world apart but in China, they are remarkably similar.

One school in Qingdao, north-east China, hosted its annual audition yesterday to find high school graduates who would become either models or air hostesses, according to People's Daily Online.

More than 1,000 graduates paraded in swimwear and airline uniforms in a bid to attract potentially lucrative contracts in aviation or fashion.

The unusual event attracted potential applicants from Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Jilin and a number of other nearby provinces.

All of the candidates are thought to be recent graduates while those in the audience are from modelling schools and airline training colleges.

The event, hosted by modelling agency Oriental Beauty, is said to be a way for recruiters to find talent in one place and for the candidates to establish their own platform.

On its website, Oriental Beauty stipulated that potential candidates had to be at least five foot six in height, although for people with exceptional look, this could be dropped to five foot five.

The women were required to be "elegant, slim, have sweet voice and have no scars in the exposed part of their skin."

In China, many airlines have height requirements for air hostesses and it's considered an extremely competitive role.

Graduates who are successful in attracting the attention of a school would go on to train to become an air hostess.