• Miss Vietnam at 2012 Hue Festival

The contest is co-organized by Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper and the Danang municipal People’s Committee.

The pageant’s qualifying round began on April 20 and will last until July 15. The next rounds will be held in Hanoi (for candidates from the north) and Ho Chi Minh City (for candidates from the south) in early August.

During the biennial event, contestants take part in many community activities, such as charity and environmental protection work.

The Miss Vietnam 2012 winner will be awarded a VND300 million cash prize, while the first and second runners-up will receive VND150 million and VND100 million, respectively.

The organizing board will also present other titles to the top candidates, such as “Miss Talent”, “Miss Ao Dai” and “Miss Sea”.

Launched in 1988, this is the country’s biggest and longest-running pageant. The current Miss Vietnam is 23-year-old Dang Thi Ngoc Han from Hanoi.