Ip and Ng-Wan were the most photographed of the 17 contestants representing the Chinese diaspora at a press conference Thursday for the beauty pageant to be broadcast by TVB Jade on January 21.

But if history is a factor, Ng-Wan - one of three contestants who does not speak Chinese, the others being Miss Lima and Miss Bangkok - might have the edge.

You see, Ng-Wan, 17, a flute-playing child of French-Canadian and Mauritius-Chinese heritage who speaks English, French, Spanish and Creole and wants to "be an international artist and help people in my way," has the Ruth Koo Lam edge.

Lam is a diminutive Montreal-based Chinese-culture and talent coach who helped launch the Hong Kong acting careers of former Montreal beauty queens Christy Chung and Angela Tong Ying-Ying.

Chung, like Ng-Wan, was also a non-Chinese speaker who nonetheless won the Miss Chinese International 1993 crown.

She went on to a career in B-movie classics such as Bride With White Hair II, Love on Delivery, and Bodyguard from Beijing and a steamy best-selling pictorial, Feeling Christy Chung.

Two years later, 19-year-old Tong flew from Montreal to compete in the Miss Chinese International pageant.

Though she failed to gain the top spot, she went on to make a name of sorts for herself on several TVB programs, as a spokeswoman for a breast enlargement cream and in Hong Kong cinema classics such as Women from Mars, Beauty and the Breast and Bio-Zombie.

"None of [the three] knew anything about Chinese culture because they were brought up in Montreal," said Lam, a Hong Kong native who is also Ng-Wan's chaperone and cheerleader.

"Not even how to wear a Chinese dress. I gave them training in dancing, singing, walking, modeling - even how to hold their hands properly like a Chinese lady. Now Christy and Angela are very famous all over the world. I know the same can happen for Vicki."

She turned to look at her latest creation, who was politely fielding questions about her impressions of Hong Kong as the other contestants milled about talking among themselves.

"Look how she is standing. She may not speak Chinese yet, but now she knows the culture."