In 2015, Thu Thuy suddenly appeared at Lao Dong Newspaper to present the 7 million VND she won in the "auction" of a banyan tree organized by the Golden Heart Social Fund to support a child, the daughter of a soldier on Truong Sa island, to have money for cochlear implant surgery.
I don't know if that banyan tree is still alive, but in 2021, Thuy passed away after a heart attack. Friends commented that Thuy was beautiful, intelligent, sharp and also very kind.
I will not get into the analysis of whether beauty is a talent or not. However, another beauty queen has responded: "Beauty is not a talent, maintaining beauty is a talent". Perhaps the concept of maintaining beauty here is not simply about beauty and appearance, but also more broadly, in the aspects of soul, lifestyle, and value to society.
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I read somewhere a pretty good interview, the respondent was a female writer. She said: “Beauty or intelligence are both assets”. When referring to the controversial statement of Miss Thu Thuy years ago, the female writer shared: “Beauty and talent can be interchangeable to a certain extent, in some professions. In history, there have been actors who were praised for their talent even though in reality they were just too charming and attractive. There are also people who, the longer they live, the more beautiful they become just because they are talented. I think that statement is mainly opposed by people in terms of words. People still think that talent is useful to the community, while beauty is not. But in reality, although the nature of beauty is frivolous, that frivolity is still necessary and useful to our lives”.
I think the view that “Beauty and intelligence are assets” is true both on an individual and... national level.
In this respect, Vietnam is one of the... world's great powers. In the middle of the year, a beauty magazine published a ranking of countries with the most beautiful women. Vietnam ranked third in Asia, after Korea and Japan, in terms of beauty index. The magazine commented: Vietnamese women are often admired for their elegance, smooth skin, and attractive demeanor, creating sympathy.
However, I wonder if someone has understood the saying: “Beauty is an asset” in a narrow sense, but for a while, Vietnam was in a “crisis of surplus” and “overwhelmed” with dozens of beauty contests each year. Along with that were the noise and scandals about buying awards, and the “slip of the tongue” statements of beauty queens and beauties.
Public opinion believes that one of the reasons for this situation is the commercialization of beauty contests. Businesses and organizations use contests to promote their products and brands, making the criteria for evaluating beauty no longer standard and objective. Many people participate in contests only for the purpose of seeking fame or expanding career opportunities, instead of truly honoring beauty and intelligence.
This "overabundance" also makes the true meaning of beauty and talent become blurred. With the widespread awarding of prizes, many contests have turned beauty into a commercial "floor", reducing the true value of women. The public finds it increasingly difficult to put their trust in these contests, when too many "beauty queens" are honored but do not make any significant contributions to society and the community.
We need beautiful people, beauty needs to be honored. But that beauty is not only in appearance but also in contributions to the country and society.
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Someone asked me, what do beauty queens who compete in beauty contests around the world bring to the country? Is it something to be proud of?
Back to the story of beauty queens, exactly 20 years ago, in the last days of 2004, Miss Vietnam Nguyen Thi Huyen represented Vietnamese beauty in the final round of Miss World 2004 held in Hainan Island (China). Then, when Huyen was in the Top 15 of the contest, this news became a shocking event. It was the first time Vietnam had such a high ranking in a world-class beauty contest.
Over the past 20 years, Vietnamese beauty has continuously risen in the ranks of major competitions. For example, Phuong Khanh was crowned Miss Earth 2018, Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien was crowned Miss Grand International 2021. At Miss World, Vietnamese representatives have been in the Top 30 and 40 for many consecutive years, including Lan Khue Top 11 Miss World 2015 and Miss Luong Thuy Linh Top 12 Miss World 2019.
In 2024, Miss Huynh Thi Thanh Thuy was crowned Miss International, the world's third largest beauty pageant (after Miss World and Miss Universe). Thanh Thuy was crowned Miss Vietnam 2022, and is also the first Vietnamese beauty to win the crown at Miss International. Most recently, Ky Duyen, 28 years old, stopped at the Top 30 - selected from 125 contestants - in the final round of Miss Universe 2024.
The question is, how will we use the successes of beauty queens in beauty pageants, in the sense of these "big assets"?
In fact, many beauties have taken on the role of “tourism ambassadors”. For example, Thanh Thuy, after being crowned Miss Vietnam 2022, actively participated in activities promoting traditional Vietnamese beauty through events organized by Da Nang.
Or when Ky Duyen came to "Miss Universe 2024" she chose "Ngoc Diep Ky Nam" as her official national costume. This is an exquisite work of art combining traditional Nhat Binh shirt with delicate hand-embroidered details and sparkling stones, helping Ky Duyen recreate the image of an elegant, shy but still noble royal woman. When the parasol opens, it creates the image of "a chrysalis turning into a butterfly".
According to the designer, the butterfly parasol is a handmade product from the talented hands of artisans of the traditional parasol-making village in the 20th century of ancient Vietnamese people. The butterfly parasol is used as a toy, a wall decoration in noble families, symbolizing longevity.
Every international beauty contest is an opportunity to promote the people and country of Vietnam through the costumes, statements and outside activities of the beauties.
But the requirements for beauties, especially after they have succeeded in major competitions, are even higher! They not only need to demonstrate their abilities in community-oriented activities, but also need to represent Vietnamese women and, more importantly, Vietnamese people with their beauty and soul, to open the door to the world, so that Vietnamese culture can be perceived and spread.
That is what makes the title of Miss become so sparkling. Vietnamese people who love beauty will feel proud when the two words Vietnam resound in the beauty arena.
I think the concepts of “beauty is talent” and “beauty is wealth” are both correct, in that beauty can fade and be lost if not cultivated, nurtured, and promoted to add value to life.
At this point, is there anyone, especially women, who feels sad and thinks that they are disadvantaged because they have neither talent nor assets?
I remember the clever answer of singer Ha Anh Tuan when asked by the beauty, former Miss Thuy Van, about his opinion about beautiful people. Ha Anh Tuan replied: "A beautiful person is someone who finds someone who compliments her beauty. Sometimes, all you need in life is one person. For example, Thi No is still a beautiful person because she found herself a Chi Pheo who only cost her a bowl of congee with onions."
Any woman can become a beauty queen in someone's eyes and shine, in her own way.
