This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant, an annual iconic event that has inspired countless young Chinese women to achieve their dreams and showcase their talents. The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens. Each contestant is like a pearl hidden in the deep sea, waiting for an opportunity to shine. With liberating guidance from respectable mentors, they can radiate their unique brilliance, bringing joy and aspiration to all.
As we celebrate 30 years of success, let us relive the historical moments of beauty.
Miss Chinese Vancouver have been crowned Miss Chinese International for a record-breaking 7 times in addition to one 1st runner-up and two2ndrunners-up. No other city has been able to match these outstanding achievements on a global scale.
Miss Chinese Vancouver 1999Crystal Pan was the first to capture a place in the top three at the Miss Chinese International Pageant. Held in Las Vegas, she clinched the 2ndrunner-up title that year.
Bernice Liu, Miss Chinese Vancouver 2000, became the first from our city to win the Miss Chinese International Pageant. Shortly after, she signed with TVB with a debut drama "Virtues of Harmony" where she brilliantly portrayed the lively and playful Princess Sam-tin.
Shirley Zhou, Miss Chinese Vancouver 2001 and Leanne Li, the 2004 Champion, both went on to win the title of Miss Chinese International Pageant, both crowned twice by their predecessor Bernice Liu and Linda Chung in Vancouver and Hong Kong respectively.
Shirley Zhou, Miss Chinese Vancouver 2001 and Christie Bartram, Miss Chinese Toronto 2001, won the Champion and 1st Runner-up titles at the Miss Chinese International Pageant 2002. Their simultaneous success brought glory to Canada and reaffirmed the country's reputation as the best place to nurture beauties.
Several contestants, after receiving comprehensive training from the Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant, have gone on to win the Miss Hong Kong Pageant with their exceptional talent and confidence. Notable champions include Miss Chinese Vancouver 2005" Vivacious Beauty Award" winner Kayi Cheung, 2009 1st Runner-up Carat Cheung, and 2012 1st Runner-up Veronica Shiu, all of whom have achieved remarkable success.
Since 1995, the Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant has been an annual grand event in the city. Guests would enjoy a delectable feast before watching the Finals to witness the crowning of the new Champion. However, due to the pandemic, the MCVP 2020 was transformed into an online and recorded program, and the 2021 pageant only allowed a limited number of guests in a theatre setting.
Since 1995, Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant has collaborated with top-notch Asian star mentors and production elites to enhance image design and styling, modeling, and stage presentation and more. Each contestant’s schedule was specially tailored and arranged with individual image and posture plans. During the pandemic, the pageant transitioned from the grand stage to various online platforms, and in 2020, an online filming techniques course taught by directors wasintroduced. Contestants learnt how to produce professional short films on their own, a real trailblazing experience in the realm of beauty pageant!
Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant invites special guest performers from both local and overseas to deliver stunning performances on the grand stage every year. However, in 2020, due to the global pandemic, Pakho Chau couldn’t make it to Canada. Nevertheless, through the wonders of technology, he was able to conjure up a seamless virtual encounter with the eight Miss Vancouver contestants!
Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant2020 Finale was adapted to an online and recorded format due to the pandemic, marking the only occasion in history where five judges evaluated contestants' performances online. The absence of geographical restrictions also allowed for the successful inclusion of a Hong Kong TV executive in the judging panel to participate from overseas.
The Winner photos of the Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant are timeless classics. During the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, the top three winners had to take photos with transparent masks, creating a memorable record in the 30-year history of the pageant and reminding everyone of the impact from the global pandemic at the time.
Bernice Liu was the first Miss Chinese Vancouver to win the Miss Chinese International Pageant. Despite her lack of knowledge in the Chinese language at the start, she has become a prominent figure in the Asian entertainment industry, a sommelier, and a restaurant owner. Balancing her studies, acting, and business commitments, she remains active in the charitable community, leading a vibrant and beautiful life. Her outstanding achievements have also earned her an honorable recognition by the Vancouver Chinese Museum's Hall of Fame.
After winning the Miss Chinese International Championship, Linda Chung's career skyrocketed. She has starred in numerous major TV dramas, released albums, composed her own songs, and held solo concerts. After returning to Canada to focus on family life, she continues to actively manage her social media, participate in events in North America and Hong Kong, perform as a guest artiste, and serve as a brand ambassador. In 2021, she returned to TVB to star in the anniversary drama "Kids' Lives Matter," winning the "TVB Star Awards Malaysia for My Favourite TVB Actress”.
Leanne Li, following the footsteps of Bernice Liu, Shirley Zhou, and Linda Chung, became the fourth Miss Chinese Vancouver to win the Miss Chinese International Pageant title. After venturing into the Hong Kong entertainment scene, she quickly became a TVB host and acted in several TV dramas. She shifted her focus to her family after marriage but remained active in variety shows and commercial performances inmainland China. She also revived her interest in painting and held her first solo exhibition "Echoes of Love" last year, raising funds to help children and the elderly in rural areas.
Miss Chinese Vancouver 2009 Champion Eliza Sam shared her journey of learning Chinese and pursuing her dreams at the Miss Chinese International Pageant Final, earning the judges' admiration and winning the crown. Later, she signed with TVB and overcame language barriers to star in several TV dramas. Even after getting married, she was often seen at various activities. In 2020, she returned to TVB to film the series "Plan B", continuing to captivate audiences with her sweet and friendly smile.
In 2012, Miss Chinese Vancouver Gloria Tang became the sixth Vancouver representative to win the title of Miss Chinese International. She subsequently joined TVB and appeared in numerous TV dramas. In 2020, she starred as the female lead for the first time in the time-travel drama "Take Two", earning a Best Actress nomination at the TVB Awards Presentation 2021. In 2022, Gloria returned to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver to complete her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. After graduation, she pursued her long-held passion for charity work, joining a national fundraising organization to give back to the community.
Among the seven Miss Chinese Vancouver / Miss Chinese Internationalwinners, two Miss Chinese Vancouver winners did not pursue entertainment careers in Hong Kong. Shirley Zhou returned to Vancouver to complete her university studies, and JenniferCoosemans went back to her hometown of Terrace, British Columbia, to focus on environmental work.
The first Miss Chinese Vancouver winner to place in the top three at the Miss Chinese International Pageant was Crystal Pan in 1999, who won third place. She went on to host and emcee major programs for Fairchild Television. After returning to Taiwan, she became known as Crystal Mu and was active in the entertainment industry, frequently appearing on variety shows, hosting various TV programs, and publishing collections of essays and stories, exemplifying the multifaceted talents of Miss Chinese Vancouver winners.
After winning the title of Miss Chinese Vancouver in 2005, Crystal Lee returned to Taiwan to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. She first joined a renowned modeling agency and later appeared in Jacky Cheung's music video and several idol dramas. She then focused on hosting and emceeing, earning praise for her elegant image and fluent English from international brands and event organizers.
Carrie Wang, the second runner-up of the 2006 Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant, joined Talentvision as a host after her win. She later returned to China to pursue an acting career, starring in several historical dramas due to her elegant appearance. Her role as Yang Meizhu in the film “A Mysterious Tribe in China”earned her the Best Young Actress award at the Canada Golden Maple International Film Festival and the Best Actress award at the Shenzhen Youth Film Festival.
Erica Chui, the 2011 Miss Chinese Vancouver winner and daughter of a celebrity, joined Fairchild Television as a host after competing in the Miss Chinese International Pageant. She participated in various community activities before returning to Hong Kong to develop her entertainment career. She appeared in advertisements, films, and TV dramas, working with TVB, i-Cable, ViuTV, HOY TV, and RTHK. She also wrote scripts for micro-films, tirelessly pursuing her dream in the entertainment industry.
The Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant has consistently achieved remarkable results on the international stage. Canadian mainstream media have shown great interest, often interviewing Fairchild Television to uncover the secrets of their success. Some production teams even followed the pageant’s three-month training program leading up to the final and traveled to Hong Kong to cover the Miss Chinese International Pageant, producing documentaries like "Hong Kong Express - The Fast Track to Fame and Fortune" and segments for Global TV's news program "16x9," offering local audiences deeper insights into Asian entertainment culture.
Over its 29-year history, the Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant has held 24 of its events at the Vancouver Convention Centre, making it one of the venue's longest-standing event organizers.
The Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant is a highly anticipated event each year, featuring renowned emcees for the grand final. The first pageant was hosted by Lawrence Cheng and Deborah Moore, with Lawrence Cheng returning for three consecutive years to host the event.
The most seasoned host of the Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant is Dominic Lam, who flew from Toronto to Vancouver to host the event for ten editions. His witty banter with local and international co-hosts tested the contestants' poise and confidence.
The performances at the Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant are always spectacular. The first edition featured the "Playful Queen" Sandra Lang as a guest performer, captivating the audience with her famous songs and a mix of Chinese and Western classics, leaving both Chinese and Canadian guests in awe.
The costumes worn by the contestants at the Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant are meticulously selected by Styling Supervisor or specially designed. In 2000, the pageant collaborated with Kwantlen Polytechnic University's renowned fashion design program, incorporating a James Bond-themed special costume into the curriculum. Forty students designed ten creative outfits for the contestants to wear on the grand final stage, providing a prominent platform to showcase the budding designers' work.
Many past winners have been invited back to serve as judges at the Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant grand final, including Shirley Zhou(2003), Cici Chen (2013), Cindy Zhong (2016), Linda Chung (2018), Gloria Tang (2022), and Kayi Cheung (2023).
The talent performances at the Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant consistently highlight the contestants' artistic potentials. One of the most memorable performances was Linda Chung’s dynamic hula hoop dance, which impressed everyone. She later showcased the same talent at the Miss Chinese International Pageant, stunning the audience and ultimately winning the crown.
Over the past 30 years, the winners of the Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant have taken on the responsibility of goodwill ambassadors, serving in various community roles and giving back to society. Many titleholders have served as "Ambassadors of Hope" for the Canadian Cancer Society, helping to promote cancer prevention awareness. They have also emceed fundraising events and galas for organizations like SUCCESS, the Diabetes Canada, Canadian Liver Foundation, and Care BC, and volunteered their time to continue the pageant's legacy of compassion.