The Vietnamese traditional “ao dai” wore by Miss Vietnam has been selected as one of the ten best national dresses at the ongoing Miss Universe 2008 in Vietnam.

The dress, named “Crane’s dance” was made by designer Thuan Viet, imitating a queenly robe of Queen Nam Phuong – the wife of the last Vietnamese King, Bao Dai, of the Nguyen Dynasty.

The robe introduced Vietnam’s traditional crafts of making embroidery and jewellery.

National dresses from Albania, Colombia, Dominica, India, Kosovo, Mexico, Peru, South Africa and Venezuela were also honoured at the pageant held in Lion Theatre in southern Binh Duong province on June 22.

Earlier, on June 21, beauties were grouped to make a tour of various destinations in Ho Chi Minh City.

A group of beauties from the US, Canada, India, the Philippines and Guam also visited patients and voluntary medical workers on the US navy ship USNS Mercy which is on a medical humanitarian mission in central coastal Nha Trang city.

The Miss Universe 2008 contestants are scheduled to take part in a pageant of Vietnamese traditional ao dai on June 23.

According to the organising board, the live broadcast programme on the NBC channel of the final in Nha Trang city, central Khanh Hoa province, on July 14 is expected to attract 1 billion viewers from over 160 countries and territories. (VNA)