Nam Dinh Province-born Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen (centre) is crowned Miss Viet Nam 2014 on Saturday, with the two runners-up standing by her side. — Photo vietnamplus.vn

HA NOI (VNS) — A freshman from Ha Noi-based Foreign Trade University was crowned Miss Viet Nam 2014 during the finale on Saturday night held in Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province.

Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen defeated 37 other finalists from across the country to win the crown which valued at some VND2,5 billion (US$ 220,000), plus VND300 million in cash prizes.

Duyen, from the northern province of Nam Dinh, also won the supporting title of Miss Beach at the biennial Miss Viet Nam 2014 Pageant.

Nineteen-year-old Nguyen Tran Huyen My from the London College for Fashion Studies and 23-year-old Ha Noi student Nguyen Lam Diem Trang, were the two runners-up. At 18, Miss Viet Nam 2014 was the youngest of all contestants. She revealed to local media that she had made significant efforts to lose weight, finally losing 14kg.

During the decisive Q&A section of the finale, Duyen drew a question from the five-member jury and was asked, "In your opinion, what makes Vietnamese women different from women in other parts of the world?"

In response, Duyen said "That is the sacrifice. Since I was a little girl, my mother used to tell me about Vietnamese mothers who would do everything so that their husband and children could go to the battlefields [during wartime] and then would always do everything to build a sweet home for their family.

"In addition, what makes Vietnamese women different is the gentleness and grace that they were born with."

Of note, besides the performances of popular Vietnamese singers, American Idol 2002's Kelly Clarkson also sang at the finale. Her performance of Because of You and Stronger received non-stop applause from the local audience, who filled the 2,300-seat auditorium. — VNS