Miss People’s Republic of China – The New Times of China
A Brief History of Miss China
When Zhuo Ling, a native of Shangai, was named Miss China Universe of 2002, she, an attractive fashion model, became the first Chinese woman to win a modern beauty contest in the People’s Republic of China, one of the world’s last Marxist nations in the 21st century. But there’s more, of course. In the previous decades, the Communist rule, as a number of Marxist states in Eastern Europe, among them the USSR and the Democratic German Republic, did not send entries to Miss Universe and Miss World.
China Under Mao Zedong
After China’s independence in 1949, Madame Chiang Ching, “First Lady of the Cultural Revolution” (1966-76), and Mao Tse-tung (or Mao Zedong), who said which “women hold up half the sky”, proclaimed total war against the capitalistic traditions: tourism, beauty pageants, and western clothes. During that time, the cult of beauty was replaced by the cult of Mao Tse-tung. The People’s Republic underwent over 25 years of Maoist government.
In contrast to the People’s Republic, Taiwan sent a handful of contestants to Miss Universe and other international pageants in the 1960s. Against all odds, Taiwan became one of the world’s beauty pageant superpowers, along with the United States, Argentina, and Britain. On November 9, 1961, Grace Li Shiu-ying was first runner-up to Miss World in the United Kingdom. During that year, Lily Wang Li-ling was a semi-finalist at the Miss Universe contest in America. In addition, Dolly Ma was one of 15 semi-finalists in the First Miss International in Long Beach, California. On July 14, 1962, Miss Taiwan Universe Helen Liu Shiu-man finished in the Top Four in Miami Beach, Florida. Nine months later, Helen was first runner up to Miss Asia-Pacific in Tokyo.
At the end of 1964, Taiwan’s delegate Linda Lin finished third in London, behind Great Britain and Argentina. Meanwhile, four months ago, Lana Yu Yi made the Top Five in Miss Universe 1964. Otherwise, Macy Shih earned the 1968 Miss Asia-Pacific title in Quezon City, Philippines. Finally, Patsy Wu was crowned Miss Queen of the Pacific Quest in Australia in 1969.
During Cold War, Taiwan was not the only Chinese territory in the pageants. Hong Kong, a British dependency from 1842 until July 1, 1997, also competed in the United States and London. But there’s more. The 24th Miss Universe was held in 1976 in Hong Kong, a few kilometers from the People’s Republic. In the subsequent decade, Eric Morley, Chairman of the Miss World Organization, chose HK to host the 1989 Miss World.
