VietNamNet Bridge - The Miss Ethnic Vietnamese pageant is the only national beauty contest in Vietnam in 2011 that aims to seek three representatives to take part in international competitions.

The top five contestant of the first Miss Ethnic Vietnamese pageant.

The final round will be held in HCM City from November 26 to December 10.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hoang Tuan Anh said that the event honors the traditional values and praises the talent, intelligence and beauty of women from ethnic minority groups and affirms solidarity among ethnic groups.

Contestants must be Vietnamese citizens, aged 18-28, from one of the 54 ethnic minority groups in Vietnam, and currently living and working in Vietnamese territory.

Registration will last from June 1 to October 15. The beauty contest covers the northern, central and southwestern regions.

The qualifier round will take place in HCM City on October 22. The semi-final round will be held in Hanoi from May 3-5, for contestants in northern Vietnam and in HCM City from November 11-14 for those in southern Vietnam.

In the first Miss Ethnic Vietnamese pageant in 2007, a Tay ethnic girl

named Nguyen Thi Hoang Nhung, 21, a student from the Hanoi Culture University, was crowned.

The final round of the competition is scheduled in Ho Chi Minh City from November 26 to December 10, at the Hoa Binh Theatre. On the final night of December 10, contestants will compete in traditional costume, evening gown and swimwear. The top 15 contestants will be selected and five will go into the interview round to find out who is the beauty queen.

Dr. Doan Thi Kim Hong is the chief organizer of the pageant.

The jury of the Miss Ethnic Vietnamese pageant 2011.

In the first Miss Ethnic Vietnamese pageant in 2007, a Tay ethnic girl named Nguyen Thi Hoang Nhung, 21, a student from the Hanoi Culture University, was crowned.

The award for Miss Ethnic Vietnamese 2011 will receive VND100 million ($5,000), VND70 million for the first runner-up and VND50 million for the second runner-up.

PV