Now, that old saying may be in need of an update. A recent list of the 10 Chinese cities boasting the most beautiful women has put the north-eastern port city of Dalian at the top.

The list was published in a women's weekly, China Beauty Fashion, and widely carried in leading newspapers in the country, including the staid People's Daily.

The magazine rounded out its top three beauty bastions with Chongqing and Chengdu in Sichuan province.

Suzhou's beauties, meanwhile, fell from the heavens all the way to fourth place on the list, while women in Hangzhou did not even get a second look, let alone a place in the Top 10.

SELLING POINTS Dalian: Flawless complexion and height. Chongqing: Long and sexy legs. Chengdu: Fine and smooth skin. Suzhou: Beautiful and delicate hands. Changsha: Women here are said to possess the best of both their northern and southern cousins, as the province is located in central China. Nanjing: Women here carry themselves with ease and are especially elegant and graceful. Shanghai: Trendy, high EQ, romantic. Beijing: Capable, keen-witted, understanding. Hong Kong: Trendsetters and fashion leaders. Guangzhou: Besides being great cooks, women here are known to be gentle and considerate.

Changsha in Hunan province was placed fifth on the list, followed by the eastern cities of Nanjing and Shanghai in sixth and seventh places respectively, and Beijing in eighth position.

Hong Kong and southern Guangzhou rounded out the magazine's list of the Top 10 cities with the most alluring women.

Though the writer insisted the list was compiled in jest and urged readers not to take it too seriously, it was obviously grounded in recent reality.

For instance, the second runner-up in the Miss World contest held in China last December was Ms Guan Qi, a 21-year-old fashion designer and former model from Jilin province in north-eastern China, near Dalian.

Women there, according to the writer, are well-known for their fair complexion and are generally taller than their cousins in the south. They also exude a certain quality not found in women from other parts of China.

Women in Chongqing are noted for their nice and sexy legs. These reputedly come from having to walk up the steep slopes in the hilly city.

The women in neighbouring Chengdu are said to be blessed with fine and smooth skin. Supposedly, this has something to do with its fertile plains, although exactly what the connection is, no one knows.