Miss World pageant to return to China
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-12-04 23:11

Sanya once was just a remote tropical outpost in the South China Sea, a place where foreign visitors were so rare they drew open-mouthed stares. Then Miss World arrived, and everything changed.

Contestants in the Miss Worldcontest perform on stage during a dress rehearsal for the contest final, in Sanya, on south China's Hainan Island Thursday Dec. 2, 2004. Contestants from 107 countries and regions are in Sanya preparing for the final on Dec. 4. [AP]

The pageant brought Sanya glamour, and the town provided a tranquil setting for a pageant that in 2002 was forced to flee Nigeria after deadly riots.

Both sides found the partnership so rewarding that organizers of the coming 55th Miss World contest announced on Friday that the London-based pageant will be held in Sanya in 2005 for the third straight year.

"We feel this is our home," pageant president Julia Morley told a news conference on the eve of the final for this year's pageant. "Everybody wants to come back because of the kindness shown to us."

The announcement expands a partnership between the pageant and the city, which hopes to boost its profile as a tourist destination.

Morley and Sanya Mayor Chen Ci said this year's pageant is a cooperative venture. Unlike last year, when Sanya paid Miss World a $4.8 million fee, the city is paying no fee, but providing security and other support instead, Morley and Chen said.

Miss World organizers are responsible for finding sponsors.

Chen said the partnership was a good fit because "this is a safe island," while Morley praised Sanya's "loving, peaceful feeling" and picturesque beaches. Sanya is on Hainan Island.

Sanya built new highways and a tiara-shaped convention center for Miss World last year. Since then, the new facilities have helped the town host more than 1,000 international events, Chen said.