Swimmingly: Contestants model swimsuits for the Miss Beach title of the Miss Viet Nam pageant in Da Nang yesterday. — Photo courtesy of Miss Viet Nam organisers

DA NANG — Forty contestants completed the swimsuit competition on My Khe Beach yesterday and will continue on to the final in the Miss Viet Nam pageant on Saturday.

The winner of the swimsuit competition will be awarded the "Miss Beach" title.

"We expect that the final night will be a tough test for all candidates," said the head of the organising committee, Le Xuan Son, during a press conference in Da Nang yesterday. "The contestants represent beauty and culture from all corners of the country."

They were all students, ages 20-22, and with an average height of 1.7m, Son added.

"The central coast city of Da Nang is an ideal destination for the contest this year and has had a long time to prepare properly for the event," he said.

"The pageant this year is also a chance to promote the country's landscapes and people," said Da Nang People's Committee vice chairman Nguyen Xuan Anh. "We have made every effort to put on a sucessful pageant."

During the talent competition on Saturday, competitors sang and peformed traditional dance and dance sport, and the organising committee selected 10 finalists. On the list, Nguyen Thi Xuan Trang offered a perfect traditional dance performance on a bamboo bench with lantern, making her a name to watch in the final next weekend. Duong Tu Anh, who performed a silk ribbon dance, and Nguyen Le Thuc Chau, who sang a Hue folk songs, also made the final.

The general director of the Miss Viet Nam pageant, Lai Van Sam, said that the stage design on the final night would be based on the sea and mountain landscapes around Da Nang.

"We have included beautiful scenes of Ngu Hanh Son Marble Mountains and the pristine beaches in Da Nang," Sam said at the press conference. "We hope to make a colourful final night so that local people will enjoy a perspective on the city."

The jury will announce the Miss Viet Nam winner at the 2,000-seat Tuyen Son Sport Centre on the final night on Saturday. The final will be broadcast live at 8pm. For those wishing to attend in person, tickets are being sold at prices of between VND500,000 ($22) and VND2.5 million ($120) each. — VNS