Miss Vietnam Mai Phuong Thuy to be awarded Miss Charity

Editor-in-chief of Tien Phong newspaper, the organiser of the Miss Vietnam contest said this is in recognition of Miss Mai Phuong Thuy’s positive social activities during her two year of being contemporary Miss Vietnam.

During the two years, Mai Phuong Thuy has been across the country, to many remote and far-flung areas to help disadvantaged people. The total money she has raised to help these people reaches to VND 10 billion. Recently, Mai Phuong Thuy has sold photo book named Women and Tuong (classical theatre) in which she acted as a model, to raise money to help tuong artists in difficulties and abandoned boy named Thien Nhan.

During a press conference in Hanoi yesterday, Mai Phuong Thuy who is handing over the title to successor, remind beauty queens of the Miss Contest 2008 of the significance of the crown. She said “the crown will honour the beauty queen but also require her to live a good life worthy with the title.”

This year marks the 20^th year since the first Miss Tien Phong or now Miss Vietnam is held. o­n the occasion, the organisers will hold an art performance o­n September 5 and present logos to 11 Miss Vietnam since 1988.

Also at the press conference, the organisers announced that for the first time, Miss Vietnam 2008 will be presented a special crown worth US $ 15,000. The crown, which is made of gold and gemstones, will be presented in rotation to Miss Vietnam.

The final night of the Miss Vietnam pageant 2008 will be held in the Hoai River Square in Hoi An ancient city, Quang Nam province o­n August 31.

The beauty queen will be awarded VND 150 million and an overseas trip. The first and second runners-up will receive awards worth VND 80 million and VND 60 million respectively.