HANOI, March 7 (Xinhua) -- The Miss Friendship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be held in Vietnam for the first time in the central Phu Yen province in July 2017, announced the country's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The organizers will officially kick off the competition in Phu Yen province on March 20, after holding a press briefing in the southern Ho Chi Minh City on March 16 to introduce the event to the public, reported provincial newspaper Phu Yen Online on Wednesday.
The regional pageant is part of several cultural activities to be held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN establishment in 2017. It is hoped to be an occasion for ASEAN member countries to meet up, promote and exchange cultures, as well as strengthen multilateral relations and friendship, said the organizers.
The preliminary round is open for applications from March 1 to April 28, 2017, then comes the final round from June 1 to July 2, 2017. The final night is scheduled to be on July 7 in Phu Yen's Tuy Hoa City.
Situated in the south-central coast of Vietnam, Phu Yen province is famous for its beautiful landscapes of long beach under the shadows of coconut trees, unspoiled hills and natural lagoons. This is also the ideal place for organizing various types of tourism activities such as mountain climbing, sea-diving, boat-racing, wind-surfing and sea exploring.
