Miss Chinese International 2008

Miss Chinese International 2008, the 20th Miss Chinese International pageant was held in Foshan, China on January 26, 2008. Outgoing titleholder, Sarah Song of Sydney, Australia crowned the new winner Oceane Zhu of Paris, France at the end of the two and a half hour show. 23 delegates from 23 cities and 12 countries competed for the crown.

Pageant Results

Final Results

*Miss Chinese International 2008 Winner 國際中華小姐冠軍: "Number 13", Oceane Zhu 朱璇 of Paris, France
*The runners-up were 三甲佳丽:
**1st Runner-Up 國際中華小姐亞軍: "Number 12", Kayi Cheung 張嘉兒 of Hong Kong, China
**2nd Runner-Up 國際中華小姐季軍: "Number 4", Aileen Xu 徐萌 of Chongqing, China
*Top 5 finalists 五強佳麗:
**"Number 2", Lucia Long 龍洋 of Mudanjiang, China
**"Number 20", Ivy Han Xiaodan 韓曉丹 of Sydney, Australia
*Top 11 semifinalists 十一強佳麗:
**"Number 3", Cici Chen 陳麗 of Hunan, China
**"Number 5", Wendy Xu 徐弋雯 of Hangzhou, China
**"Number 7", Li Qinxin 李沁芯 of Pearl River (Foshan), China
**"Number 9", Go Alexis Sy 吳佳穎 of Manila, Philippines
**"Number 10", Lily Ji Li 吉麗 of Kunming, China
**"Number 23", Ting Jia Lorigiano 黃婷佳 of Montreal, Canada

pecial Awards

*Most Courageous 最具勇氣獎: "Number 14", Lisa Li 李莎 of Auckland, New Zealand
*Miss Friendship 友誼小姐: "Number 15", Delaine Lee 李德玲 of Calgary, Canada
*Miss Young 青春小姐: "Number 13", Oceane Zhu 朱璇 of Paris, France

Delegates

There are 23 delegates participating this year. The delegates below are sorted by number, country, and continent.

Asia

*Number 1: flagicon|MYSKuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Joanne Yew 尤鳳音
*Number 2: flagicon|CHNMudanjiang, China: Lucia Long 龍洋
*Number 3: flagicon|CHNHunan, China: Cici Chen 陳麗
*Number 4: flagicon|CHNChongqing, China: Aileen Xu 徐萌
*Number 5: flagicon|CHNHangzhou, China: Wendy Xu 徐弋雯
*Number 6: flagicon|THABangkok, Thailand: Gam Ueavivatsakul Sakao 黃美玲
*Number 7: flagicon|CHNPearl River (Foshan), China: Li Qinxin 李沁芯
*Number 8: flagicon|CHNShenyang, China: Jackie Song Shuangjia 宋雙佳
*Number 9: flagicon|PHIManila, Philippines: Go Alexis Sy 吳佳穎
*Number 10: flagicon|CHNKunming, China: Lily Ji Li 吉麗
*Number 11: flagicon|SINSingapore: Desiree Yong Shi Yang 楊詩穎
*Number 12: flagicon|HKGHong Kong, China: Kayi Cheung 張嘉兒

Europe

*Number 13: flagicon|FranceParis, France: Oceane Zhu 朱璇

Oceania

*Number 14: flagicon|NZLAuckland, New Zealand: Lisa Li 李莎
*Number 20: flagicon|AUSSydney, Australia: Ivy Han Xiaodan 韓曉丹
*Number 21: flagicon|AUSMelbourne, Australia: Kelly Meng 孟醇
*Number 22: flagicon|TAHTahiti, French Polynesia: Karen Chong 鍾嘉玲

North America

*Number 15: flagicon|CANCalgary, Canada: Delaine Lee 李德玲
*Number 16: flagicon|CANVancouver, Canada: Jessica Choi 蔡凱欣
*Number 17: flagicon|USANew York, United States: Stacy Wang 王瑩
*Number 18: flagicon|CANToronto, Canada: Liang Wang 王靚
*Number 19: flagicon|USASeattle, United States: Vivien Chan Wing Tung 陳穎彤
*Number 23: flagicon|CANMontreal, Canada: Ting Jia Lorigiano 黃婷佳

*"Notes: There are no representatives from South America and Africa this year."

Historical significance

*The pageant will be held in Foshan for the second time only.
*Cities including Mudanjiang, Hunan, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Shenyang, Kunming, and Paris debuted this year.
*Calgary won their third Miss Friendship title, tying Kuala Lumpur for the city with the most Miss Friendship awards.
*Paris wins on its debut and Oceane Zhu's win makes her the first European to win the pageant.
*Hong Kong makes the top 5 for the first time since 2005 and finishes second since 2004.
*Sydney places in the top 5 for the second consecutive year, the first this has occurred.
*Chongqing, Mudanjiang, Hunan, Hangzhou, Pearl River (Foshan), Kunming and Paris place for the first time.
*Manila makes the semifinals for the first time since 2004, when Carlene Aguilar finished 3rd. Montreal also placed since 2001 when the city took 1st runner up.
*Vancouver fails to place, the last time happening in 2003.
*Toronto does not make the top 10, the first time this has happened since 2005.
*No delegate from the United States made the cut, the first time this has happened since 2003.
*Montreal's Ting Jia Lorigiano 黃婷佳 was the only delegate from North America to make the top 10, and holds the unofficial title of "Miss Chinese North America 2008"

Contestant Notes

*Seattle representative, Vivien Chan Wing Tung was not the original winner. Samantha Chin, Miss Chinese Seattle 2007 was suppose to compete but withdrew due to unknown reasons. Vivien was the Miss Talent winner at the Miss Chinese Seattle pageant.
*Contestant #12, Kayi Cheung of Hong Kong competed at Miss Chinese Vancouver 2005 and Miss World 2007 previously. She is the first Miss World semifinalist to compete at the Miss Chinese International pageant. She also won the Vivacious Beauty award at Miss Chinese Vancouver.
*Contestant #13 Oceane Zhu of Paris is not a legal resident of Paris, France.
*Contestant #23 TingJia Rosalinda Lorigiano of Montreal was the youngest of all competitors, at 17 years old.

Important Remarks

*Chicago, Johannesburg, San Francisco did not send a delegate this year. Despite Johannesburg and San Francisco's success last year, the committees couldn't find sponsors and funds. Chicago originally planned to send Nancy Yinan Xu, the 2008 winner of the Miss Friendship Ambassador pageant but she withdraw in late December. TVB only gave the committee one day to confirm and find a delegate and as all the other contestants were busy, this lead to no Chicago representative this year.
*Rotterdam did not compete as the city did not win the Miss China Europe pageant and the committee only sends one European delegate to the pageant.
*Nanning is also absent this year as the city did not compete at the Miss Chinese International Mainland China finals where the pageant chose a top 5 to compete in Miss Chinese International. The top 5 cities made up the Mainland China group which included cities of Hunan, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Shenyang, and Kunming. The other China cities were chosen through local television networks which include Mudanjiang and Pearl River (Foshan).
*One of the judges, Louise Li was Miss Hong Kong Princess 1967 winner.
*Originally a top 10 list was proposed but there was a tie between two delegates over tenth place. This led to a top 11 list, the first time this has happened in the pageant.

References and Links

* [http://tvcity.tvb.com/special/mcip2008/main/index.html Official Website]
* [http://www.geocities.com/chinesepageantpage/ Chinese Pageant Page]
* [http://pageant-beauties.tripod.com/id46.html Pageant Beauties' Coverage for Miss Chinese International 2008]
* [http://www.mhkgallery.com/mci2008_photogallery.htm Miss Hong Kong Gallery]