Beauty contest honours Vietnamese women and cultural identity

Nhan Dan – The final round of the Miss Vietnamese Ethnic Group beauty pageant will be held from November 26 to December 10 in Ho Chi Minh City, following the success of the first contest held in 2007.
Top five winners of the Miss Vietnamese Ethnic Group beauty pageant 2007
Top five winners of the Miss Vietnamese Ethnic Group beauty pageant 2007

The contest is jointly organised by the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and the CIAT Advertising and Trade Fair Joint Stock Company.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hoang Tuan Anh, said the contest honours the cultural identity and values of Vietnamese ethnic groups as well as the beauty of Vietnamese women. It affirms the unity and solidarity of the great family of ethnic groups in Vietnam. It also shows the community’s support and encouragement for women to promote their talents and intelligence for socio-economic development during the process of national renewal and integration.

Dr Doan Thi Kim Hong, chairwoman of the CIAT and head of the contest’s organising board, said the competition, the only national beauty pageant in 2011, offers an opportunity for representatives of women across the country to exchange experiences and present their inner and outer beauty. The contest also helps promote tourism and attract more visitors to Vietnam, she added.

The pageant is open to all single Vietnamese women aged 18-28 who are living and working in Vietnam.

Qualifying rounds will be held in Ho Chi Minh City on October 22. The semifinals for contestants from the North will take place in Hanoi from November 3-5 and in Ho Chi Minh City from December 11-14 for contestants from the South. Participants will compete in three categories: traditional costumes, swimsuits and a question and answer round.

In the final round of the pageant, the contestants will show off their talents such as flower arranging, singing, dancing, cooking, embroidery, weaving and yoga. They will also take part in various social, cultural and charity programmes, promote environmental protection, and visit different areas and historical sites in addition to joining activities that are part of the ‘Year of Youth’ and the ‘Year for Children’ in Ho Chi Minh City.

The winner of the beauty contest will be crowned at the Hoa Binh Theatre in Ho Chi Minh City on December 10.

Miss Vietnamese Ethnic Group will win a crown and VND 100 million. The first and second runners-up will receive VND 70 million and VND 50 million, respectively.