Noble Spirit and Style by Zhang Lehua.[Photo/Amazon.cn]

Finishing school founder Zhang Lehua believes China's new rich need greater energy and integrity rather than more luxury goods to improve their image, and seeks to address this in her newly-launched book about being noble.

Zhang, whose book Noble Spirit and Style, launched by Writers Publishing House in November in Beijing, has devoted 13 years to teaching manners and elegance to well-off Chinese women.

"When I got started, I first thought it was the external appearance that had been missed, then I gradually realized we need do more to polish the character and quality of an individual, instead of merely dressing up and acting elegantly," she said.

Her previous publications, including Secret to Elegance, The Golden Principles of Outfit Matching, and Chapter One to Enhance the Taste, focus more on dressing well.

Her new book goes one step further, calling for dignity, self-confidence, and the willingness to shoulder social responsibility as fundamental elements of being noble. Combing through history, Zhang's book combines real life anecdotes with philosophical insights she gathered from teaching.

"Noble spirit means you have higher moral standards for yourself, which has nothing to do with the wealth you possess," she said. "You don't need to be rich to be noble."

Zhang Xiaoyuan, official from the publicity department of All China Women's Federation, hailed Zhang's efforts and said the book advocates the power of dignity, self-reliance and self-improvement, which is "in line with the federation's hope for Chinese women today".

To foreign readers like Jane H. Willborn, an American editor at womenofchina.cn, Zhang's book is refreshing.

"I was surprised and impressed by Zhang's focus on individuality and confidence as a means to enhance those aspects which set you apart from others," Willborn said in an email to China Daily.