HARBIN - The 2011 Miss Bikini International World final kicked off in Harbin, capital city of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, making the city the second of the country to organize the event.

More than 60 contestants from 50 countries and regions are to compete for the crown of "2011 Miss Bikini International" in the one-week event, said Wang Gang, vice head of the publicity department of the city's Communist Party Committee.

These girls will visit several scenic spots in Harbin to partake in catwalk shows and photo taking activities. They will also wear folk costumes and act in some plays to display the cultures of the city, according to Wang.

The event is co-organized by the publicity department and the city's literary and art federation.

With a history of nearly 40 years, "Miss Bikini International" was brought to China in 2005. Harbin is the second Chinese city after Sanya, a coastal city in southern Hainan province, to hold the pageant event.