Miss Universe China Explained

Miss Universe China Organization
环球小姐中国
Type:Beauty pageant
Headquarters:Shanghai
Location:China
Membership:Miss Universe
Language:Chinese
Leader Title:President
Leader Name:Li Xiaoning
Owner:Shenzhen Pudum Media
Website:misschinaorganization

Miss Universe China 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. Celebrity makeup artist Yuko Takahashi, ruwnay trainer Lu Sierra and DIBS Beauty CEO Jeff Lee have historically prepared the most successful winners in advance of the Miss Universe finals. 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. 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 three finalists and two special awards.

In 2017 Jacky Fan, Xin Fu Lai Enterprise Management Co., LTD. took over Miss Universe China Organization. There will be 33 Regional Competitions happening across the country domestically, 1 Online Regional Competition Area, and 1 Overseas Special Audition happening in the US.

In 2021 Li Xiaoning, took over the Miss Universe China Organization as the new president along with the return of Yue-Sai Kan as official Honorary Chairman.

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.[1]

Titleholders

On occasion, when the winner does not qualify (due to age) a runner-up is sent.

YearProvinceMiss ChinaSimplified ChineseTraditional ChinesePlacement at Miss UniverseSpecial awardsNotes
Yue-Sai Kan ownership & Li Xiaoning directorship — a franchise holder to Miss Universe from 2020
2025BeijingXuhe Hou侯旭合侯旭合
2024SichuanJia Qi贾琪賈琪Jia Qi was Miss China 2023, she withdrew from Miss Universe 2023 and allocated to Miss Universe 2024 in Mexico.
2023colspan=7
2022ShanghaiSichen Jiang [2] 姜思晨姜思晨Unplaced
2021ZhejiangShiyin Yang 楊诗尹楊詩尹Unplaced
BeijingJiaxin Sun孫嘉欣孫嘉欣Unplaced
Jacky Fan (Xin Fu Lai Enterprise Management Co., LTD.) directorship — a franchise holder to Miss Universe between 2017―2019
朱鑫朱鑫Unplaced
LiaoningMeisu Qin 秦美苏 秦美蘇 UnplacedThe second runner-up of Miss China 2017 awarded as Miss China 2018.
SichuanRoxette Qiu邱蔷 邱薔 Top 16Dethroned after competing at Miss Universe 2017.
Yue-Sai Kan directorship — a franchise holder to Miss Universe between 2011―2016
Shanghai李珍颖 李珍穎 Unplaced
Guangdong薛韵芳 薛韻芳Unplaced
  • Best National Costume (4th Runner-up)
2014BeijingKaren Hu胡彦良胡彦良UnplacedKaren was a runner-up of Miss China 2014. She competed at Miss Universe, after her winner decided to withdraw at Miss Universe 2014.
HenanNora Xu许乃蜻許乃蜻Resigned before competing at Miss Universe, Nora Xu resigned her title to complete her undergraduate education and was succeeded by Karen Hu.
靳烨靳燁Top 16
  • Miss Congeniality
Jilin许继丹許繼丹Unplaced
  • Best National Costume
Shanghai罗紫琳羅紫琳4th Runner-up
Johnny Kao directorship — a franchise holder to Miss Universe between 2002―2010
HeilongjiangTang Wen 唐雯唐雯Unplaced
Shandong王静瑶王靜瑤Unplaced
  • Miss Congeniality
Guizhou魏子雅魏子雅Unplaced
LiaoningZhang Ningning 张宁宁張寧寧Unplaced
  • Miss Congeniality
Zhang was a runner-up of Miss China 2007, after the main winner, Wei Ziya allocated to Miss Universe 2008.
2006HeilongjiangGao Yinghui 高英慧高英慧UnplacedQi Fang was replaced by Gao Yinghui as the official representative to Miss Universe 2006.
ShanxiQi Fang齐芳齊芳colspan=3
SichuanTao Siyuan 陶思媛陶思媛Unplaced
Tianjin张萌張萌Unplaced
FujianWu Wei吴薇吳薇Unplaced
ShanghaiZhuo Ling 卓灵卓靈2nd Runner-up

See also

References

Other references

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Finding Miss China. iqiyi.com.
  2. Web site: 2022-11-21 . 与美共冕 剑桥研究生问鼎环姐桂冠 70届环球小姐上海总决赛完美收官 . 23 November 2022 . . Chinese.