The 57th edition of the contest is being held on World AIDS Day as organisers want the annual showcase of gloss and glitz, seen by critics as a sexist throwback, to help increase awareness of the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Hometown fans will be cheering on Miss China -- Zhang Zi Lin, a 23-year-old secretary from Beijing -- hoping she can live up to her billing as one of the pre-contest favourites and bring home the crown.
But Ada Aimee De La Cruz of the Dominican Republic is hotly tipped by British bookmakers as the biggest threat among the 106 contestants.
De La Cruz, a 21-year-old student, was coy about her chances.
"I want to win but I think all the finalists are attractive and good people, they are so friendly and intelligent, so I don't know," she said.
"I just feel so proud to be here. It's a dream for me."
Indonesia's Kamidia Radisti is one of the few beauties representing a mainly Muslim country -- a fact which has affected her choice of clothing, especially for the "Beach Beauty" segment.
"Wearing a bikini is a no for me, so instead I wear a one-piece swimsuit. That's the solution," she said, adding she had not faced any opposition at home to taking part in the pageant on Hainan island, known as the "Chinese Hawaii".
In 2002, the contest was moved from Nigeria to Britain after more than 200 people died in clashes sparked when a newspaper suggested the Muslim prophet Mohammed would have chosen a wife from the contestants had he been alive.
But all was expected to be calm Saturday in the Chinese city of Sanya, which has hosted the contest for four of the past five years.
Radisti tipped Mexico's Carolina Moran Gordillo to win.
"She has the perfect body and I think she's a nice person," she said. "Whoever it is they are going to represent the world -- all of the people of the world."
The crown has taken on increasing importance in developing countries, and the mother of Tanzania's Richa Maria Adhia said her daughter was under great pressure to deliver.
"She told me she did not want to go back home empty-handed as she thinks they'll crucify her or kill her," mother Maria said.
To underline their commitment to AIDS awareness, organisers have invited former South African president Nelson Mandela's eldest daughter Maki to serve on the panel of judges.
The Nobel laureate's son Makgatho died of an AIDS-related illness in 2005, and the family has since been active in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
Among those countries not represented in Sanya are North Korea and Myanmar. Taiwan also does not have a contestant here, as Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory.
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