Three winners of a beauty pageant in Chongqing were judged by Web users as "far below the public's aesthetic benchmark," after their photos were posted on Sina Weibo late Tuesday.

The Miss International 2012 Beauty Pageant Chongqing has become the focus of a tussle over the hidden rules behind the competition that apparently failed to select a true beauty in a city famous for its pretty women.

A staffer surnamed Liu from the pageant organization committee was quoted by the Chongqing Morning Post as saying that the whole competition is based on equity.

"After rounds of grading, they were deemed qualified," Liu said, adding that different people have different standards of beauty and the three winners will represent Chongqing in the national final.

However, an anonymous judge of the pageant told the newspaper Wednesday that judges were under pressure and that the result was not based on the judges' decision.

"We are also disappointed in the three who were crowned, and personally I don't think they represent women in Chongqing," the judge told the newspaper.

The Global Times was unable to contact the pageant's organizer yesterday.

By late yesterday, some 980,000 postings on the pageant results were seen on Weibo, making it the fourth most popular topic.

Some Web users attempted to use sarcastic humor to question the impartiality in choosing the winners.

"Sister Feng, an Internet celebrity known for her high standard in selecting a husband, will regret not securing her place in this pageant in her hometown," alluding to a woman who gained fame for shunning any expression of sexuality and vowing to maintain her virginity until she is married. 

Gong Qi, who was second runner-up in the Miss International Beauty Pageant Beijing last year, told the Global Times that it is unfair to judge a candidate solely based on her photos that were posted online.

"Some people are photogenic, besides appearance only accounts for part of the competition's comprehensive evaluation that includes manners and talent," Gong added.