HÀ NỘI — The inaugural Miss Multicultural Việt Nam 2025 contest, set to take place this November, promises to mark a significant milestone in honouring the beauty, intelligence and cultural identity of Vietnamese women.

According to the organising committee, this national beauty pageant challenges contestants not only to showcase their appearance, talent and courage but also to promote the precious traditional values of the nation both at home and abroad.

The winner will serve as a cultural ambassador, tasked with connecting the past and present while affirming Việt Nam’s position on the global cultural stage.

"The criteria of the contest focus on culture which is different from conventional beauty contests," said People’s Artist Vương Duy Biên, head of the Advisory Board.

"We are looking for representatives who can spread the culture of 54 ethnic groups across 34 provinces and cities, thereby inspiring young people, honouring national beauty and affirming Vietnamese cultural values in the international arena."

Contestants must be female Vietnamese citizens aged 18 to 33, at least 1.63 metres tall, never married (single mothers accepted) and hold at least a high school diploma.

Following the preliminary round on November 18, 40 selected contestants will participate in various activities and sub-competitions. The semi-final on November 22 will feature three contests: the traditional long dress áo dài, evening gown and talent competitions. The top 30 will then advance to the final on November 23 at the Hồ Gươm Theatre.

The winner will represent Việt Nam at Miss Multicultural World in June 2026, an international contest featuring participants from numerous countries and territories.

Both contests bear the Vietnamese mark, having been founded and copyrighted by Miss Phan Kim Oanh, President and founder of both Miss Multicultural Việt Nam and Miss Multicultural World.

In addition to the winner and runners-up, the organisers will award titles including Miss Knowledge, Miss Swimsuit, Miss Talent, Miss Performance and Miss Photogenic.

"The contest aims to spread national cultural values, bringing together modern, brave and intelligent Vietnamese girls to shine," said Mrs Grand International 2022 Oanh, head of the Organising Committee and the Jury.

"Through the various rounds, our precious traditional values will be awakened, preserved and widely promoted to the younger generation and international friends.

"The contest delivers positive messages from contestants across the country. Each will add her own colour and identity to the event, creating its diversity and spreading its values even after the final night.

"Miss Culture Việt Nam must possess talent, intelligence, courage and morality. She is not only an inspirational role model for the younger generation but also a worthy representative of Việt Nam at Miss Multicultural World 2026."

Meanwhile, People’s Artist Nguyễn Hải, a member of the jury, affirmed: "The winner is not only a beautiful woman but also an ambassador who will introduce Vietnamese culture to a wider community locally and internationally.

"Culture cannot be confined but must be expanded, embracing the quintessence of humanity while promoting the unique heritage of the nation. In our plan, we will consult and cooperate with UNESCO to promote the contest more widely." — VNS