MISS CHINA CROWNED MISS WORLD 2012.

23 – year – old Yu Wen Xia triumphed on home soil during a glitzy final held in a mining city on the edge of the Gobi desert. Yu, who became China’s second Miss World winner, appeared on stage in a dazzling array of ballgowns during the two-hour final and serenaded the audience with a piercing rendition of a popular Chinese song.

The final, watched by a worldwide TV audience of an estimated one billion viewers, included a nod to the culture of Inner Mongolia, with a performance by a group of Mongolian musicians playing the erhu, a traditional two-stringed instrument. Last year’s Miss World, Ivian Sarcos of Venezuela, handed over her crown to Yu, who wore a sparkling blue dress, in the futuristic Dongsheng stadium in the northeastern city of Ordos.

A total of 116 contestants – the highest ever number to take part – took to the stage during the final in a variety of stunning gowns. Yu Wen Xia waves as she stands next to second place contestant Miss Wales Sophie Moulds, left, and third place Miss Australia Jessica Kahawaty during the pageant’s final ceremony today.