Viet Nam News
HA NOI — A woman from the E De ethnic group was crowned Miss Universe Viet Nam 2017 after the final round of the beauty pageant was held yesterday evening in Nha Trang, in the central province of Khanh Hoa.
The 25-year-old from the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, H’Hen Nie, took home the crown, valued at VND2.7 billion (US$119,000), together with a cash prize of VND200 million ($8,800).
Hoang Thi Thuy and Mau Thi Thanh Thuy were first and second runners-up, respectively.
Thuy was the champion of the 2011 cycle of Viet Nam’s Next Top Model, a modeling reality television series, while Thuy was the winner of the show’s 2013 cycle.
Forty-two contestants from across the country strutted their stuff on the final night of Miss Universe Viet Nam 2017. They displayed catwalk skills in traditional Vietnamese long robes, evening gowns, and swimsuits.
This year is just the third time Miss Universe Viet Nam has been organised to select the country’s representatives to attend international pageants, with the other two times being in 2008 and 2015.
The 2017 edition of the competition was suspended for two months by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in November after it drew criticism for holding the semifinal in typhoon-hit Nha Trang.
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| Miss Universe Viet Nam 2017 H’Hen Nie (centre) and Hoang Thi Thuy (left) and Mau Thi Thanh Thuy (right).— Photo courtesy of organiser |
Among the board of judges were Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza and Miss Viet Nam 2006 Mai Phuong Thuy.
In the interview round for the Top Five, H’Hen Nie picked a question, asking what she could do, as Miss Universe Viet Nam, to encourage people to use social media in a more positive way.
“Social media is a two-edged knife with both positive and negative impacts. I want to stress that there are many other more beautiful things in life for us to treasure, so let’s cut down on our use of social media so we can be closer to one another,” Nie answered.
In the last interview round, the Top Three answered one common question about their future community projects. Nie said she would focus on orphans in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, women and HIV sufferers because they are vulnerable people, in her opinion.
Nie is 1.72m tall with measurements of 84-60-93. She was consistently in the list of outstanding girls of the competition thanks to her light brown complexion, athletic shape, short hair and powerful strutting skills. Currently, she works as a model in HCM City. — VNS