5th October 2010 Visiting China’s great icons, old and new

Miss World 2010 contestants made the most of their final day in Beijing by visiting two great icons of ancient and modern China, the Great Wall and the Olympic Stadium.

Just north of China’s capital lays the imposing wall that once protected China from outside invasions.

On their arrival contestants were greeted by shopkeepers and early tourists. Netherlands bumped into visitors from home. “It was a wonderful surprise to meet people from my country here,; she said.“The Great Wall truly brings together people from all over the world.”

On the wall the girls took in the breath taking views of surrounding mountains and the sheer might of the wall itself. “Just imagine the great effort that must have gone into building such an awesome construction,” Nigeria commented.

Back in Beijing contestants headed off to what quickly has become one of the icons of modern China, the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium.

At the stadium the girls were given the privilege of visiting the presidential box, while enjoying a special selection of entertainment from the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony.

England was especially taken in by the place. “Beijing did a fantastic job entertaining the world in 2008. Seeing this stadium and some of the performances has brought it home to me that organising the Games is an enormous honour and responsibility.”

After meeting fans and taking more pictures the girls headed back to the hotel where they packed for the next leg of their grand tour of China:  to Ordos, Inner Mongolia, home to Genghis Khan’s mausoleum.