YeinJee's Asian Journal

Zhang Zilin (张梓琳), a 23-year-old secretary (and model) from People’s Republic of China was crowned as Miss World 2007 on Dec 1 in Sanya, China.

Miss World 2007 - Zhang Zilin from China (Image courtesy of Xinhuanet)

The final of this 57th Miss World contest was held in the Crown of Beauty Theater, Sanya, Hainan Province on Saturday night (Dec 1). Zhang Zilin was the eventual winner among 106 contestants and became the first ever Chinese to win the Miss World title.

Zhang’s victory also meant that Asians have won both major global beauty pageant contest - Miss World and Miss Universe in 2007. Riyo Mori, a 21-year-old Japanese was crowned as Miss Universe 2007 in May.

A protest has prompted Miss Universe 2007, Riyo Mori to cut her Bandung trip short.

(Image courtesy of The Jakarta Post)

Some 50 protesters from an anti-pornography alliance against Mori’s arrival rallied outside the Savoy Homan Hotel, prompting the Miss Universe team to take her back to Jakarta.

Since August 2, Mori has been in Indonesia on a 10-day visit arranged by the Miss Universe Organization and the Miss Indonesia organizing committee for charity activity.

The 20-year-old beauty queen is the second Japanese contestant to have won a Miss Universe pageant after Akiko Kojima in 1959.

Riyo Mori, the Miss Universe 2007 from Japan, is in Indonesia for a visit. Mori attended the final of the Miss Indonesia pageant on August 4, and will be staying in Indonesia for another week to attend series of events.

(left) Miss Universe 2007, Riyo Mori from Japan; (right) Riyo Mori and Miss Indonesia 2006 Agni Pratistha (Image courtesy of Mainichi)

Riyo Mori from Japan is crowned as Miss Universe 2007 in Mexico City on May 28.

Picture of Miss Universe Riyo Mori (森 理世)
(Image courtesy of Missuniverse.com)

Excerpt from the Miss Universe website…

Ms. Mori is 20 years old and has been dancing since she was 4. She loves travelling the world and enjoys visiting museums and watching musicals.

The judging panel for the 2007 Miss Universe Pageant included NBC’s “Heroes” James Kyson Lee, NBC’s “Deal or No Deal” briefcase model Lindsay Clubine, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, rocker Dave Navarro, World and Olympic figure skating champion Michelle Kwan, fashion designer Marc Bouwer, Novela Star Mauricio Islas, “Project Runway” judge and Elle magazine fashion director Nina Garcia, and former Miss Universes Dayanara Torres (1993) and Christiane Martel (1953).

Throughout the two-hour event, contestants from 77 countries around the world competed in three categories: swimsuit; evening gown; and personality interview. Zuleyka Rivera, Miss Universe 2006, crowned her successor at the conclusion of the two-hour primetime telecast, before an estimated worldwide viewing audience of more than 1 billion in over 170 countries.

Riyo Mori is the second woman from Japan to hold the title; the first Miss Universe winner from Japan was Akiko Kojima, way back in 1959.

I didn’t think that Riyo Mori is the best looking girl or the most outstanding pageant in the contest; I guessed that Miss Korea Honey Lee would have a better chance to emerge as the winner prior to the finale (Honey ended up as 3rd runner-up).

Mori showed lots of confidence in the final stages though (evening gown and interview), that probably made a huge difference for her crowning.