The death of an aspiring Chinese pop singer during plastic surgery has cast an ugly light on an obsession with beauty that sees millions go under the knife in China each year.

Wang Bei, 24, a former contestant on China's answer to American Idol, died on November 15 during "facial bone-grinding surgery" in the central city of Wuhan, Chinese media have reported.

Mystery ... why did the famously attractive Wang Bei opt for plastic surgery?

That Wang even felt she needed to improve her looks has underlined the extent to which cosmetic surgery has taken hold. Her beauty had already made her a popular contestant on the smash television hit Super Girl.

Her death has fuelled concerns about the dangers of plastic surgery in a country where three million people have operations each year to improve their appearances, according to figures published by state media.