“Beauty queens in Vietnam are now selected based on conservative criteria. The regulation that candidates must be high school graduates should be removed because it’s a beauty contest not a university entrance exam,” he said.

2008 winner Tran Thi Thuy Dung was later found to have not finished her high school education. However, the organising board insisted that Dung had not violated the regulations, clarifying that she was in grade 12 so she could graduate later, Anh cited as an example.

Miss Vietnam 2008  Thuy Dung (middle)

Dung was recognised as Miss Vietnam 2008 by the organising board. After being crowned, Dung continued her studies and finished high school in 2009.

Since 2009, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has clearly stipulated that candidates must at least have finished high school to participate in Miss Vietnam contests.

“Why shouldn’t high students aged between 16 and 17 compete in Miss Vietnam? This is when women look their most beautiful,” he said.

The poet said that between 1989 and 2006 when the original regulations were enforced candidates aged 16 and 17. Bui Bich Phuong in 1989 and Ha Kieu Anh in 1992 won the prize. 

However, after 2006, some of the regulations were changed. For instance, Miss Vietnam candidates were required to be single, to have not been previously married or to have co-habited with a partner. “This regulation seems is ridiculous as while its possible to find out whether someone has been married or not, it’s next to impossible to investigate whether they’ve ever lived with someone as a couple or not,” Anh added.

He said the regulation should be changed to state that any woman aged between 16 and 28 who was currently single and without a child should be eligible to enter.

“Westerners are quite open about virginity and for Vietnamese young people, this is also not considered a moral factor. We should think about modernising Miss Vietnam’s regulations. Beauty should be taken as the most important criteria, not intellectual achievements,” he suggested.

Candidates in Miss World pageants are permitted to have small aesthetic surgery on things such as scars and can also have breast surgery, said Vietnamese model Thuy Hanh.

“Natural beauty is always highly appreciated, but I think some of small improvements should be permitted such as skin bleaching or surgery,” Hanh suggested.