​Miss Vietnam 2018 to keep bikini competition despite US example

Miss Vietnam 2018 organizers made clear about continuing the bikini round notwithstanding a debate on removing it following the U.S. omitting the swimwear competition from its pageants, as part of a press briefing on Tuesday for this year’s competition.

The debate had previously brewed between Vietnam’s pageant organizers and industry insiders when Miss America had announced the suit removal starting from 2019.

In spite of that, the Vietnamese pageant’s organizers decided not to follow the U.S. example as they think bikinis in Vietnam, contrary to the States, have never been at the heart of criticism throughout 30 years of the competition’s history.

“Moreover, no laws or regulations of Vietnam prohibit this,” the organizers said.

On the other hand, the organizers also refused to replace bikinis with Vietnam’s traditional ‘ao dai’ (long gown).

“Though the ‘ao dai’ is a good option to show off physical beauty, it still allows the contestants room to use techniques like wearing high heels and breast or butt padding to make their body look perfect,” the organizers said.

“With bikinis, every gimmick will be revealed. Thus, only bikinis can show all the physical beauty.”

Current Miss Vietnam Do My Linh (fifth right), Miss Vietnam 1992 Ha Kieu Anh (fourth right) and many other beauties gather at the press conference in Ho Chi Minh City on June 12, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

At the press conference, the Miss Vietnam 2018 organizers also introduced the judges of this year’s contest.

Particularly, three beauties including current Miss Vietnam Do My Linh, Miss Vietnam 1992 Ha Kieu Anh and the first Miss Vietnam Bui Bich Phuong will occupy three of the seven “hot” seats on this 30th anniversary of the beauty pageant.

Also, historian Duong Trung Quoc will head the judges, poet and journalist Tran Huu Viet will be the deputy judge while other members include Dr. Hoang Tu Hung and designer Le Thanh Hoa.

“We believe that this ‘powerful trio of women’ along with the rest of the judges will have the widest view, the most accurate judgments to choose the most suitable candidate for the crown," said Vu Tien, deputy head of the Miss Vietnam 2018 organizing committee.

Miss Vietnam 2018 officially kicked off the preliminary round in the southern region on June 3.

The finals for the southern region will take place at 8:00 pm on June 23 at Resort FLC Quy Nhon in the south-central province of Binh Dinh and be broadcast live on national channel VTV9 and 12 other local television channels.

Current Miss Vietnam Do My Linh (left) and Miss Vietnam 1992 Ha Kieu Anh are seen at the press conference in Ho Chi Minh City on June 12, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

After the finals, the southern region’s selected candidates will immediately choose their destinations of charity projects in Quy Nhon City in Binh Dinh Province, Cua Lo in Nghe An Province and Ho Chi Minh City via a draw.

It is said that there will be ten charity projects this year, instead of 40 as in 2016, for a larger scale and higher usage value of the projects.

The preliminary and final rounds in the north are scheduled for July 14, 2018.

The national final round is slated to take place on September 22, 2018 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!