Ashley Ng swept not one but three titles at the recent Miss (Taiwan) Penghu International 2011 pageant.
Contributed By Theresa Tan
Left: Ng (second from left), with the governor of Penghu Island.
When Ashley Ng was invited to represent Singapore at the Miss (Taiwan) Penghu International 2011 pageant, she never entertained the thought that she would win anything.
“It’s an international pageant,” she explained. “There were 19 contestants from around the world, including Germany, Britain, Spain, Russia, Estonia, Panama, Thailand, and the U.S. There were girls there who had perfectly symmetrical faces! I didn’t think I stood a chance.”
This was the inaugural pageant, created with the purpose of promoting tourism in Taiwan’s Penghu Island. It was held in conjunction with the week-long Penghu International Carnival in mid-January.
The 21-year-old, who was second runner-up at the Miss Singapore International pageant in 2009, decided the trip to Taiwan would be a good work opportunity. Following the pageant, Ng will stay on to host a travel documentary about Taiwan with Imagine TV Network, a Singaporean production company.
Right: Ng’s (left) moment of glory. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ASHLEY NG
But to Ng’s surprise, after a week of tourism activities and contest segments, she found herself crowned the first runner-up—Miss (Taiwan) Penghu International Queen 2011—at the pageant finals on Jan. 23. Not only that, Ng was also named Miss Beach Beauty and Miss Photogenic. The first place was won by Taiwan, and Thailand placed third.
“I feel very privileged to carry my country’s name. During the award presentation they called me Miss Singapore; at that moment I was overwhelmed and just felt this was no longer about myself, but about my friends and family back home and about God, and where this could lead. It was truly by God’s tremendous grace that I came in second.”
