20-year-old Zhang Zi Lin, who was crowned Miss China back in October, made the most of home advantage to become the 57th winner of the Miss World beauty pageant. She bested Micaela Patrica Reis (Miss Angola) and Carolina Moran Gordillo (Miss Mexico) to scoop the title in a glittering ceremony in the resort of Hainan Island in southern China.

Watch: Zhang Zi Lin crowned Miss World 2007
Miss World 2007 was held to coincide with World Aids Day in an effort to raise awareness of the disease. Contestants were rated on an array of disciplines, including physical fitness, style, dress, personality and beauty by a panel of judges that featured former British tennis star Annabel Croft and Duncan James, a former member of boy band Blue.

Zhang Zi Lin’s triumph looks set to be a further boost to China’s booming beauty pageant craze. Such contests were forbidden in China for over 50 years but the ban was lifted in 2003. Now, beauty contests take place almost every month with an amazingly bizarre array of titles - including Miss Artificial Beauty, Miss Plastic Surgery and the OAPs-only Silver-Aged Beauty Contest - up for grabs.

A Brit on the side

Miss World 2007 didn’t turn out to be a night to remember for any of the four British contestants. Georgia Horsley (Miss England), Melissa Patton (Miss Northern Ireland), Nieve Jennings (Miss Scotland) and Kelly Louise Pesticcio (Miss Wales) all failed to make the contest’s semi-final stage.

The only glimmer of joy came in the Miss World Talent section of the pageant. Contestants showcase their skills in singing, dancing or poetry and the winner is fast tracked into the Miss World semi-finals. Sadly, Miss England’s demonstration of linear flower arranging failed to impress the judges. Miss Scotland’s performance of an Argentinian Tango was well received but she finished runner-up to Ghana’s Irene Dwomoh.