However, the high fees and application requirements of the courses have sparked controversy among the public.

On average, it costs around 30,000 yuan (US$3,650) for about 20 classes spread over several months. One class might cost more than 1,500 yuan (US$185) if the lecturers are very renowned in their fields.

The projects set high thresholds for applicants, recruiting only those with college degrees and from companies boasting more than 50 million yuan (US$6.25 million) in fixed assets.

Some people say such courses are just a market ploy to entice people to gain a passport to the so-called rich club. "They are just paying to find more business partners in these classes," said Chen Yunyun, an office lady in Beijing.

Some people wondered whether the training can truly make a woman "perfect" within several classes.

"To get a 'perfect' woman with the right personality and leadership skills needs years. It is not something a woman can become in a few classes," said Wang Xiongjun, a university student in Beijing.

Critics also point out that the society is still male-dominated and that the values for the so-called "perfect women" are largely determined by men, not by women themselves.

The 2001 Report for the Business Development of China Women Entrepreneurs, issued by the Female Entrepreneur Association, said that that 60 per cent of the country's female entrepreneurs shoulder the dual responsibility of work while also caring for the elder and younger generation and dealing with the housework.

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