Miss Ireland is Miss World 2003
Nineteen-year-old Miss Ireland, Rosanna Davison, daughter of singer Chris de Burgh, was crowned Miss World 2003 on Saturday in China's first international beauty pageant, an event that would have once been branded a heretical display of western decadence.
Nineteen-year-old Miss Ireland, Rosanna Davison, daughter of singer Chris de Burgh, was crowned Miss World 2003 on Saturday in China's first international beauty pageant, an event that would have once been branded a heretical display of western decadence.
“I would like to describe myself as a fun-loving yet humble person and hopefully a great ambassador for my country and for women all around the world,†Davison said when asked to describe her life and character just before the result was announced.
Runner-up was Miss Canada, Nazanin Afshin-Jam, 24. Chinese contestant Qi Guan, a fashion designer, was second runner-up in the country’s third attempt at grabbing the crown.
In contrast to last year's pageant, moved to Britain from Nigeria following Muslim-Christian riots sparked by controversy over the contest, more than 100 beauty queens displayed their talents on the peaceful, semi-tropical island of Hainan.
Showing how far China has come since the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, when women could be branded counter-revolutionaries for wearing makeup, officials embraced the contest as a way of boosting Hainan's image, according to state-run media.
Until recently, China banned beauty contests as expressions of decadence but beauty has become big business. Fashion show catwalks grace fancy shopping malls and billboards advertising beauty products and brand names are common.
The state-run media recently called 2003 "the first pageant year in China" but local contests have attracted young beauties for the best part of a decade.
At least 10 beauty contests were held in the southern city of Guangzhou last year, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Reuter
“I would like to describe myself as a fun-loving yet humble person and hopefully a great ambassador for my country and for women all around the world,†Davison said when asked to describe her life and character just before the result was announced.
Runner-up was Miss Canada, Nazanin Afshin-Jam, 24. Chinese contestant Qi Guan, a fashion designer, was second runner-up in the country’s third attempt at grabbing the crown.
In contrast to last year's pageant, moved to Britain from Nigeria following Muslim-Christian riots sparked by controversy over the contest, more than 100 beauty queens displayed their talents on the peaceful, semi-tropical island of Hainan.
Showing how far China has come since the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, when women could be branded counter-revolutionaries for wearing makeup, officials embraced the contest as a way of boosting Hainan's image, according to state-run media.
Until recently, China banned beauty contests as expressions of decadence but beauty has become big business. Fashion show catwalks grace fancy shopping malls and billboards advertising beauty products and brand names are common.
The state-run media recently called 2003 "the first pageant year in China" but local contests have attracted young beauties for the best part of a decade.
At least 10 beauty contests were held in the southern city of Guangzhou last year, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Reuter