Published:  00:00 Sunday - January 11, 2009

Miss World 2008 Ksenia Sukhinova on January 10 voted for Ha Long Bay in the north-eastern province of Quang Ninh as one of the new Seven Natural Wonders of the world.

“I love Ha Long,” she told reporters after making a tour of the bay which has been recognised twice as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site by UNESCO.

She said she was active in charity activities and Vietnam was the first country she has selected for that purpose after being crowned last December. She said she loves to visit beauty spots in the country, including Ha Long Bay.

Ha Long Bay is her second stopover after Nha Trang city in Khanh Hoa province during her month-long charity trip to Vietnam. She is accompanied by Julia Morley, President of the Miss World Organisation and Hoang Kieu, chief executive officer of the American RASS Company. They are exploring venues in Vietnam for the 2010 Miss World Pageant.

She is scheduled to carry out charity activities in 10 cities and provinces in Vietnam.