The Miss Vietnam crown, which is decorated with a number of rare natural pearls, has been recognised as a National Guinness record.

The information was released by the organizing board of the national pageant Miss Vietnam 2014, at a press briefing in Hanoi on October 20.

Accordingly, domestic skilful artisans depicted the image of lotus on the VND2.5 billion crown with white gold materials and 1,000 natural diamonds.

Le Xuan Son, head of the organising board said this year’s pageant attracted the participation of more than 1,000 contestants.

As many as 117 girls from the northern region gathered in Hanoi on October 19 for the qualifying round of the Miss Vietnam 2014 pageant.

Many of them chose traditional costume Ao Dai to show their beauty at the round, which is expected to select 40 best candidates for the next round, scheduled for the capital city on October 23.

The final round of Miss Vietnam Beauty Pageant 2014 will be held in Phu Quoc in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang from November 26 - December 6.

Started in 1988, Miss Vietnam is one of the most prestigious beauty pageants in the country. It aims to honour knowledge, morality and beauty of Vietnamese women. Winner of the contest will have a chance to be a representative of the country at international beauty pageants.