* Nom anglais: Harvey Hu
* Date de naissance: 14/02/1972
* Lieu de naissance: Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
* Taille: 1m89
* Poids: 80 kg.
* Langues parlées: mandarin, contonais, anglais
* Hobbies: basketball
* Couleurs préférées: blanc, bleu
* Plats préférés: canard, poisson, szchuan, red bean dessert, pastèque
* Famille: grand frère acteur: Hu Dong
* Biographie:
BEING a supermodel can be a dangerous occupation. Just ask Hu Bing, who at 30 years of age is considered China's most handsome man.
His chosen profession has left him with injuries to both wrists; one from fans in Lanzhou of Gansu Province, and the other from fans in Dandong.
"In both cases, I was surrounded by too many people and then they started gripping my hands, pulling at me," he said. "It's the price you pay for being a public figure."
Hu embarked upon his career in 1989 after winning a national modelling competition, and has not looked back.
That year (2002), Hu appeared in his first fashion show, held by China Garment Import and Export Co. Draped in silk, Hu caught everyone's attention, and has been modelling namebrand after namebrand ever since. "Now I only model top brands," he said.
Hu has been the lead model for Ferragamo, Gucci, Dunhill, Valentino, Paul & Shark and Cartier. He has also been spokesman for Brown Man, De Beers and Motorola.
Hu is not satisfied with simply being a model, though it is his "favourite job".
"I think I am capable of more than just walking the catwalk. I can't waste my talent," he said with full confidence. Like other successful models, he has turned to acting, singing, and producing.
Absentee boyfriend
"Honestly, the rewards involved in acting are even greater than wealth and fame," he said. "But you pay for those gains."
The first thing you lose is your freedom, according to Hu.
As a national celebrity, he can never stroll along the street or go to a restaurant like a regular person.
"I once tried, but after what happened, I would never dare do it again," he said. "Too many people surrounded me. Mob scenes are dangerous, you can't be sure of everyone's intentions."
Now Hu always travels with several bodyguards in public. If he wants to go out with friends, they must play it very low key, attiring themselves in ordinary clothes and sunglasses.
But for Hu, the worst problem involves love. With a hectic schedule and constant travel, he has little time to meet potential girlfriends. Hu's few relationships have all failed due to all these complications. "I think it is difficult for girls to endure an absentee boyfriend who is flying around the world all the time," he said. "The average person just can't imagine how busy I am."
Busy is an understatement in Hu's line of work; he is no stranger to long hours. Once while shooting a television show, he worked for 37 hours straight. After sleeping for one hour, he returned to the set.
"I only got to rest that time, when I became so sick that I landed in the hospital," said Hu, adding that he only managed six hours rest at the hospital before returning to finish the shoot.
According to Hu, the paparazzi is a real headache. He is constantly haunted by headlines discussing his personal life, stories both real and fictional.
"After so many years, I am used to reading that nonsense," he said. However, after a long silence, he added, "I have to say that no one can ever be completely indifferent about these kinds of stories, especially the bad ones."
Hu has requested that his assistant protect him from those stories.
"I don't have time to respond to lies, so I would rather keep silent," he said. "But I am really surprised sometimes by the nonsense some reporters write. Most never even interview me."
Rowing club
As a child, Hu was lonely. Born into an army family, he moved from Shanghai to Hangzhou of Zhejiang Province when he was five years old. Even though his parents were very strict, he learned to stick to his decisions even if his parents disagreed.
Hu's parents had hoped their son would go on to attend a famous university. They often mentioned Oxford and Cambridge. However, as a young boy, when seeing television shows about famous universities, Hu was more attracted to the school's rowing programme than any academic programme.
Later on, he joined a rowing club without telling his parents. They remained in the dark, until one day when his boat capsized, and he returned home wet.
"My parents also disagreed with my decision to be a model at the beginning. They thought it was not a good job for a man," Hu said. "But I insisted, and went on to achieve success."
"To be honest, to be on top is very stressful. I am always pushing to maintain my success," Hu said.
He spends almost all his time working. However, in those rare moments of leisure time, he participates in horseback riding, driving, dancing, doing kongfu and many other activities.
"The life of an artist is not very long, I need to take advantage of this golden time," he said. "So no time to talk about love now."
