After having hosted three Miss World contests, China's tropical resort of Sanya will see the world's most handsome men compete for the title Mister World in March, the city's government announced Wednesday.

Organizers of the 5th Mister World contest have received a record number of applicants from contestants representing more than 80 countries and regions, said Li Boqing, vice mayor of Sanya.

The event, scheduled to be held on March 31 this year, will be broadcast live worldwide to a potential audience of over a billion, he said.

Sanya, China's southernmost city in the island province of Hainan, hosted the Miss World pageants from 2003 to 2005.

Julia Morley, chair of the Miss World Organization which also runs the Mister World pageant, said Sanya is one of the most suitable venues for the event.

The Mister World beauty pageant for men has been staged biennially since 1996. The last Mister World pageant was held in London in 2003, where Gustavo Cabral Narciso from Brazil was crowned the fourth Mr. World.

(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2007)