Nguyễn Thanh Hà of Việt Nam was crowned winner of the 2023 Miss Eco International on March 3 at a glittering final ceremony in Cairo, Egypt. Photos courtesy of Miss Eco International

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese representative Nguyễn Thanh Hà was crowned the winner of the 2023 Miss Eco International beauty pageant on March 3 at a glittering final ceremony in Cairo, Egypt.

This is the highest result of Việt Nam in this contest, where Hà overcame 64 contestants to take the top position.

Last year’s winner, Kathleen Patton of the Philippines, placed the sparkling crown on her successor’s head.

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The first runner-up went to Ifunanya Basilia Ikochukwu of Nigeria, while the second runner-up was Yashna Beeharry of Mauritius.

The third and fourth-placed spots were given to Ratana Sokhavatey of Cambodia and Genesis Guerrero of Ecuador.

Nguyễn Thanh Hà in her environmental costume at Miss Eco International in Egypt.

Hà, 1.70m tall with measurements of 85-56-90cm, won the Best Eco Dress, a design inspired by Vietnamese traditional water puppetry, in the semi-finals to get a bye into the top 11.

In the Grand Finale, contestants participated in national costume and evening gown performances. Judgers picked up the top 21, top 11 and then top five.

The 19-year-old made a strong impression with her strikingly beautiful face, confidence and outstanding beauty in the national costume, and her gorgeous gown designed by Brian Võ, to go through to the top five.

In the interview round, she persuaded judges with her answers about the changes to society and the environment in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nguyễn Thanh Hà in her evening gown at Miss Eco International.

The beauty queen said that people's mental health problems must be well-taken care of, while harmful habits that cause damage to the environment must be addressed. The Vietnamese beauty urged everyone to work together to protect the environment.

"I nearly cried before the final because of the high pressure," said Hà. "But I was confident and strongly believed in myself. I was brave to overcome all challenges and even my limit.

"This prestigious title will push me to work my best every day. This will also be a milestone in my life, opening up many opportunities to connect with international friends. Above all, it will be a strong support and motivation for me in my work, especially those concerned about environmental protection," she said.

Hà, born in 2004 in the southern province of Bến Tre, was a high school student in HCM City. She was crowned Miss Eco Việt Nam 2022 last June.

Nguyễn Thanh Hà in a traditional ‘áo dai’ at a national costume contest.

Miss Eco International was originally formed in 2015 with the motto “Beauty for Eco”.

The main motivation behind starting the pageant was to spread environmental awareness among the masses through the theme of economics and the environment. In addition, the pageant also abides by the motto of finding an emissary specifically for environmental causes. VNS