New York is a Mecca for American stars of stage and screen, but rather than seeking attention at the city's hot spots, one Chinese Internet sensation has been hiding out in a nail salon in Brooklyn because of the backlash she received in her own country. Luo Yufeng, 27, who became a national laughingstock in China, now lives and works in Brooklyn as a manicurist.

She shot to fame two years ago when she handed out flyers in Shanghai with specific demands for potential suitors.

Her ideal man had to be a graduate of one of the country's top universities who studied economics 'or something similar'.

Mr Right had to be between 5ft 9in and 6ft tall- a range which would tower over her own 4ft 6in- and a native of eastern coastal China.

The man could not have had any previous children, nor could he have any ex-girlfriends who had received abortions.

She went so far as to specify where the man could be employed, writing 'he should not be an employee of state companies, but it’s OK if he works for PetroChina, Sinopec or top banks' on the leaflet. This requirement also stood out because of her position at the time as a cashier at a local branch of Carrefour supermarket.

Known as 'Sister Phoenix' or 'Sister Feng' on the web, she was targeted because of the contrast between her exacting demands and her own plain looks, below average height (4'9''), and low salary (at the time, it was the equivalent of $146 per month).

'I was hated in China and don’t want to be hated by people here,' Ms Feng said to The New York Post in her native Chinese.

'America is still a place where anyone can succeed. I can open a small business, develop into a big business, take it public and then global,' she continued.

Ms Feng posts frequently to her 1.4 million followers on Sina Weibo- the Chinese equivalent of Twitter- and in December she reasserted her focus on finding a mate.

'I believe as a woman, getting married should be a profession. For women, getting married and having children is the greatest happiness. Although I don’t have these, I am working hard [towards them],' she wrote.

Since her move state side earlier this year, Feng adjusted her criteria accordingly: now she hopes to find a 'real American' with an Ivy League degree.

(Read by Christine Mallari. Christine Mallari is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)