by Le Binh
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There she is: Miss Viet Nam World 2010 Luu Thi Diem Huong and runners-up Nguyen Ngoc Kieu Khanh (right) from Germany and Phan Thuy Vy Victoria from the US pose for photographers. Huong will be the Vietnamese representative at the Miss Earth 2010 pageant in November. — VNA/VNS Photos Pham Hau  | Beauty parade: Il Divo band opened the evening with an Italian song and were accompanied by 40 beautiful contestants wearing white dresses while raising their national flags. |
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NHA TRANG — Luu Thi Diem Huong from HCM City was crowned Miss Viet Nam World 2010 late on Saturday night at the Vinpearl Resort in the coastal city of Nha Trang.
Huong, 20, triumphed over four others in the question and answer contest by responding to a question about Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam (Literature Temple) to win the crown.
"At this moment, I want to tell my mother that I'm successful, I'm living a nice dream," Miss Viet Nam World 2010 said to the camera.
At first, Huong was not considered a front runner in the contest. In fact, it was unclear if she would qualify for the top 15 because she did not make a good impression in the first events, such as Miss Beach, Miss Talent, Miss Sport, Miss Fashion and Miss Ao Dai.
But Huong's supporters became hopeful when she won the Miss Photogenic title, which was also announced on Saturday night.
The winner also won approval from the jury and audience in the HCM City qualifying round when she said she prefers knowledge over beauty because wisdom is the immortal value of a person.
Sexy in the bikini performance and elegant in her long, black evening gown, Huong had a very unique look throughout the contest. She charmed the jury and the 5,000 member audience at the resort's amphitheatre with her grace and her knowledge of Vietnamese history.
"Almost all Vietnamese people know about Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam, which dates back hundreds of years and was Viet Nam's first university. It is the cradle of our fondness for pursuing the tradition of learning. We are proud of this and use it to help develop the country," Huong said.
Huong is a second-year student at the Hoa Sen College's Business Administration and Tourism Department. She wants to become a business woman and is interested in charity activities. She also loves learning languages like English and Spanish which allows her to advertise Viet Nam's image to the world.
Huong's prizes included a bejewelled crown worth VND1 billion (US$52,000) that she can keep forever and VND500 million ($26,000) in cash.
This year's crown was designed in the shape of a blooming lotus, a traditional symbol of Viet Nam. It is embellished with 628 small precious stones and a diamond.
Huong will be the Vietnamese representative at the Miss Earth 2010 pageant which will be held at the same venue in November.
Nguyen Ngoc Kieu Khanh from Germany and Phan Thuy Vy Victoria from the US came in second and third. They received VND300 million ($15,000) and VND200 million ($10,000), respectively.
Other contest titles included Miss Friendship, Miss Elegant and Miss Beautiful Face. Winners were awarded VND30 million ($1,500) each. The Miss Beautiful Face title was given to Nguyenova Daniela who was the only half-Vietnamese contestant.
Making friends and learning a lot of during the pageant were highlights for the contest participants.
"This is a good chance for me to learn more about being Vietnamese. I've been able to learn more about how to behave as a real Vietnamese girl," said second-place Khanh. She was born in Germany and often visits Viet Nam with her family.
The final night was directed by well-knownartists Pham Hoang Nam and Do Thanh Hai. They designed a stage and backdrop screen to reflect Viet Nam's culture.
The highlight of the night was a performance by Il Divo. They opened the evening with an Italian song and were accompanied by 40 beautiful contestants wearing white dresses while raising their national flags. Il Divo sang two other songs including the favourite Unbreak My Heart.
Contestants looked very sexy in the bikini show. They showed off their bodies donned in beautiful pink bikinis with summer accessories including hats and rattan baskets.
Audience members also enjoyed a charming ao dai (traditional long dress) performance and lotus dancing to the sounds of the quartet Nam Dong Ke.
Songs and dances featuring Vietnamese culture were performed by popular artists and Miss Viet Nam World 2007, Ngo Phuong Lan, joined the stage to express her best wishes to the contestants.
The Miss Viet Nam World pageant is significant for the young Vietnamese generation abroad, according to Bui Dinh Dinh, ambassador to Russia.
"The pageant not only helps popularise Vietnamese beauty to the world but it helps young Vietnamese abroad to know more about their origins," he said.
The first Miss Viet Nam World pageant was held in 2007. — VNS
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