Miss Universe China

Miss Universe China
Motto Celebrating Chinese Women
Formation 2002
Type Beauty pageant
Headquarters Beijing
Location
Membership
Miss Universe
Official language
Chinese
President
 Yue-Sai Kan
Website missuniversechina.com

Miss Universe China (Chinese: 环球小姐中国) is a national Beauty pageant that selects China's representative to the Miss Universe pageant since 2002.

History

The Miss Universe China Organization was established in 2002. The first ever Miss Universe China titleholder, Zhuo Ling, was selected in Guangdong province in March, 2002. She represented her country in Miss Universe 2002 and placed 2nd runner-up.

In July 2002, the Miss Universe license for China was awarded to Johnny Kao, a prominent Chinese-American entrepreneur and businessman. The organization held the Miss Universe China pageant for the next few years.

On January 6, 2011, the Miss Universe Organization designated media icon and entrepreneur Yue-Sai Kan as the official licensee for the People’s Republic of China. Miss Universe officials and the then-reigning titleholder, Ximena Navarrete of Mexico, traveled to China to award the license to Kan. In her first year, Yue-Sai Kan set up an international calibre pageant, flying in foreign celebrities including Petra Nemcova, Fadil Berisha and Riyo Mori to headline and launching a multimillion-dollar production with major corporate sponsors. In subsequent years, the pageant has raised millions of dollars for China's national charities as well as Kan's China Beauty Charity Foundation. Celebrities including Paris Hilton and Charles Aznavour have participated in the pageant, and former Harper's Bazaar chief Lizzette Kattan provides styling for each year's candidates.

Under Yue-Sai Kan, the Miss Universe China Organization conducts a national search for its titleholder, consisting of a combination of regional preliminaries in major cities and provinces and direct auditions.[1] Contestants and titleholders are trained for both the Miss China and Miss Universe competitions by an international panel of experts who prepare them in a wide range of areas, including media skills, presentation, makeup and English lessons. Winners of the Miss Universe China pageant receive one of the most valuable national crowns in the world, a diamond and ruby-encrusted tiara from Luk Fook valued at over US$430,000, as well as wardrobes supplied by Shanghai Tang, Sherri Hill, LOVA and leading Chinese couturier Guo Pei and professional modeling portfolios. They are also invited to walk for various designers at New York Fashion Week and Shanghai Fashion Week and receive red carpet invitations to the Shanghai International Film Festival and Hawaii International Film Festival.

Nearly every contestant fielded by Kan since she began heading the pageant has brought home an award from the Miss Universe finals, including two finalists and two special awards.

Documentary

In 2014, the contest was the subject of a documentary series, "Finding Miss China" (寻找中国美), produced by Jonathan Finnigan and Lucky Devil Films of Singapore. The documentary featured three of the Miss Universe China 2014 contestants from their recruitment to their training and official visit to Colombo to meet Sri Lanka's first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa. The six online episodes of the documentary attracted over ten million viewers in their first month. [2]

Titleholders

Color key
  •      Declared as Winner
  •      Ended as runner-up
  •      Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists

The winner of Miss Universe China represents her country at the Miss Universe. On occasion, when the winner does not qualify the contest, a runner-up is sent.

YearMiss Universe ChinaChinese NameTraditional ChineseRepresentedPlacementSpecial Awards
2016 Li Zhenying 李珍颖 李珍穎 Hunan TBA
2015 Jessica Xue 薛韵芳 薛韻芳 Guangdong Best National Costume (4th Runner-up)
2014 [d] Karen Hu胡彦良胡彦良 Beijing
Nora Xu许乃蜻許乃蜻 Henan Did not compete
2013 Jin Ye 靳烨靳燁 Beijing Top 16 Miss Congeniality
2012 Xu Jidan 许继丹許繼丹 Jilin Best National Costume
2011 Luo Zilin 罗紫琳羅紫琳 Shanghai 4th Runner-up
2010 Tang Wen[3] 唐雯唐雯 Heilongjiang
2009 Wang Jingyao[4] 王静瑶王靜瑤 Shandong Miss Congeniality
2008[a] Wei Ziya[5] 魏子雅魏子雅 Guizhou
2007[b] Zhang Ningning[5] 张宁宁張寧寧Liaoning Miss Congeniality
2006[c] Gao Yinghui[5] 高英慧高英慧 Heilongjiang
Qi Fang齐芳齊芳 Shanxi Did not compete
2005 Tao Siyuan[5] 陶思媛陶思媛 Sichuan
2004 Zhang Meng[5] 张萌張萌 Tianjin
2003 Wu Wei[5] 吴薇吳薇 Fujian
2002 Zhuo Ling[6] 卓灵卓靈 Shanghai 2nd Runner-up

a - Wei Ziya was scheduled to compete in the 2007 Miss Universe pageant, but participated a year later in Miss Universe 2008.
b - Zhang Ningning was handpicked by the organization to represent China in Miss Universe 2007.
c - Qi Fang was replaced by Gao Yinghui as the official representative to Miss Universe 2006.
d - Nora Xu resigned her title to complete her undergraduate education and was succeeded by Karen Hu.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Miss Universe China contest officially launched". Xinhua. February 25, 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  2. ↑ "Finding Miss China". iqiyi.com.
  3. ↑ "China's new hope for Miss Universe". People's Daily. July 20, 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  4. ↑ "Girls in Miss Universe 2009". nanyang100.com. August 6, 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "History". misschinauniverse.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
  6. ↑ "Crown becomes a cross". The Tribune. August 4, 2002. Retrieved 15 May 2008.

Other references

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