On 12 October, the National Costume competition of Miss Grand International took place in Quang Binh province, Vietnam.
I always love the national costume section in beauty pageants because fans can learn a little bit more about history, tradition, culture and current issues of different countries. It is also an opportunity for the contestants and pageant fans to take pride of their respective national culture.
Let’s explore the costumes from Asia.
EAST ASIA
Mongolia
The national costume of Mongolia is elegant. It represents Mongolian culture very well and I really love its purple color.
China
The red color is often associated with Chinese culture, which is reflected in this costume. I believe the mask of Miss China is inspired of Chinese opera, a traditional art form that goes back hundreds of years.
Hong Kong
Miss Hong Kong looks like a princess of the Qing dynasty, the last royal family of China which ruled the country from the 17th until the beginning of the 20th century. In Asia, Qing costumes are popularized by successful Chinese series, such as “Return of the Pearl Princess”.
Macau
This is another red costume from Macau, the special administrative unit of China. Fun fact: Macau was a Portuguese colony that was returned to China at the end of the 20th century.
Korea
Miss Korea wore “hanbok”, the most recognized attire of Korean women. I noted that she wore a black ribbon on the hanbok and some comments suggest that she paid tribute to the Thai king Bhumibol, who passed away last year.
Japan
I fell in love with the national costume of Japan. This one is a break from typical Japanese dresses; instead, it shows one of the most well-known icons of Japanese video games: Mario.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Vietnam
The host delegate looked absolutely stunning in “ao dai”, the traditional dress of Vietnamese women for centuries.
Laos
The costume of Laos was bright with gold towers representing Laotian architecture. It is probably designed based on That Luang, a Buddhist stupa (tower) in the capital Vientiane.
Cambodia
Miss Cambodia reminds me of a Khmer statue. The costume is beautiful and it shows a lot of history and art.
Thailand
Violence have plagued 3 southern provinces of Thailand for years. The costume of Miss Thailand represents the instability that region with images from news stories about the conflict. When she took off the coat, it was a symbolic action to stop the war and promote the peace.
Myanmar
The costume of Myanmar is full of traditional culture. I love the patterns, the crown and the unique hairstyle.
Malaysia
Miss Malaysia showcased a Javanese dance of horsemen. Since Malaysia and Indonesia share a lot of culture, including some ethnic groups, this choice of costume stirs up a lot of debates between Malaysian and Indonesian fans.
Indonesia
Miss Indonesia has one of the hardest costumes to walk but she performed so well on stage. It is also very creative. According to some comments, this costume represents the combination of the sky and the earth.
Philippines
The costume of Miss Philippines represents a tribe called T’boli in Mindanao, the large island in the south of the Philippines. The musical instrument she held is called “hegulung”. I’m always impressed by the diversity of Filipino culture.
SOUTH ASIA
India
One of my favorites is definitely India with elaborate designs and rich colors. She turned around, a gold Buddha face appeared.
Sri Lanka
Definitely a lion! The costume of Sri Lanka looked impressive and powerful! Sri Lanka is an island nation in the south of India. This country is a tropical paradise.
Nepal
Miss Nepal looked lovely as the dress reminded me of Nepalese festivals. The dress really brought me to Nepal, country located on the Himalaya.
Pageant Studies 