In 7/2025, daily videos documenting Leng Minghui, 20 years old, sorting scrap at a waste collection station in Thai Chau city, Chiet Giang province, gained significant attention on social media. She is known by her nickname, "Superman Leng".
The footage showed the young woman, with her angular face and slender figure, wearing a stained protective suit, swiftly moving piles of scrap metal and cardboard. The stark contrast between Leng's appearance and the landfill setting led many to call her "the female version of Lu Xianren" — the 27-year-old male model who rose to international runways from rural Quang Tay.
Upon learning Leng's story, Lu Xianren remarked, "You were born a supermodel". The male model then personally coached her in catwalk skills and connected her with the fashion industry.
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Leng works at a waste processing facility. Photo: Baidu |
In 11/2025, after just 4 months of familiarizing herself with high heels, Leng made her debut at Shenzhen Spring/Summer Fashion Week 2026. Dressed in an orange outfit inspired by traditional spicy stick (latiao), the 20-year-old received applause from the audience.
Following this debut, Leng received collaboration offers from the oto manufacturer Chery, the art brand Zhu Bingren Copper, and contract proposals from several model management companies.
Before stepping onto the runway, Leng experienced a childhood marked by a lack of parental affection. She was born in a village in Phu Duong city, An Huy province. Her parents divorced and left their hometown when Leng was only one year old, leaving her to be raised by her paternal grandparents.
At 15 years old, her grandfather passed away, forcing Leng to drop out of school to work. She took on various jobs, from assembly line worker to cashier, before meeting her current boyfriend. Sympathizing with the orphaned girl's difficult circumstances, her boyfriend's family welcomed Leng into their home and provided tuition for her to return to school and complete high school. In her uploaded videos, Leng consistently refers to her boyfriend's 64-year-old father as "dad".
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Leng (first) catwalks at Shenzhen Fashion Week, 2025. Photo: Sina |
In summer 2025, Leng graduated from high school and took the national college entrance examination (gaokao). Her scores were only sufficient for one college, so she decided to stay and help her boyfriend's family operate the waste collection station, repaying their kindness for the years they supported her. Even with a job in the fashion industry, she continues her daily waste sorting work.
"Collecting trash feeds me, while modeling is a dream. These two paths are not contradictory", Leng stated.
Understanding her humble beginnings and the fierce competition in modeling, the 20-year-old said she dedicates her free time to honing her professional skills.
"I focus on perfecting every detail when I catwalk, from how I turn my head to my posing. Only by doing so can I truly shine on the runway", Leng added.
Nhat Minh (According to Baidu, SCMP)
