Miss World 2003
The tropical island of Hainan has never looked so good. With its palm trees, golf courses and pristine beaches, China's Hawaii, as locals like to dub it, has been playing host this week to 106 of the world's most beautiful women.
There has been an air of nervous excitement as the Miss World candidates work through the final rehearsals for tonight's glamorous final. Judges have already selected the 20 girls in the final, but that selection will not be revealed until just before the show.
Donning sexy evening gowns, the finalists will each be hoping their beauty, charisma, intelligence and artistic talents will woo the panel of judges and land them the coveted title.
It has been all work and little play for the contestants in the lead-up to the final, with organisers placing sex and alcohol strictly off limits. The girls are forever under the watchful eye of chaperones, who insist they are in bed by an 11pm curfew to ensure they get their beauty sleep.
For now it is all most of the girls can do to avoid biting their manicured nails. But after the queen is crowned tonight the regulations will be relaxed and the organisers predict the 'coronation ball' will be a wild beauty bash to remember.
