Xinhua reports:

China's first beauty pageant for elderly, dubbed as "The First Zhen'ao Cup National Contest of the Beauty of the Gray-Head Group," was launched on Saturday.

Gu Xiulian, vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress and the president of the All-China Federation of Women, addressed the launching ceremony, urging those at the age of 55 or older to participate in the contest.

According to Gu, who is also the advisor of the organization committee of the contest, China now has 134 million people age 60 and above. This accounts for more than 10 percent of the country'stotal population of 1.3 billion.

The contest is sponsored jointly by the Chinese association of aged people and the China Central Television (CCTV). The final will be held by November and telecast by the CCTV's third channel.

Also present at the ceremony was General Chi Haotian, former member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and a former state councilor.

The report, which is on Xinhua here, does not mention if there will be a swimsuit section of the contest.