Contestants for this year’s Mrs World Pageant on a sightseeing trip at Ho Chi Minh City’s Independence Palace

Contestants from nearly 70 countries and territories are in Vietnam gearing up for the Mrs World Pageant to begin in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau November 7.

The next day, the contestants visited Independence Palace, Ben Thanh Market and then met city government leaders at the HCMC People’s Committee.

The pageant will take place until November 22 in the beach town of Vung Tau, where the contestants have been touring since the HCMC trip.

The contestants’ charity activities began November 5.

Vung Tau’s Imperial Hotel is providing accommodation for the contestants and is also presenting artisan Y Lan’s sand paintings and a photo exhibition of modern Vietnamese women in 20th century to mark the event.

Contestants from France, Luxembourg and Uganda will be late and arrive on November 10. But they will be allowed to compete all the same.

The contest’s final show at the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province Hall will be broadcast live on VTV4, VTV9 and America’s Star World channels.

Canadian leading man and the event’s host Alan Thicke is scheduled to arrive in Vietnam on November 19. Thicke will co-host the final with a Vietnamese MC.

Only married women are eligible to compete at the Mrs World contest.

Reported by Do Tuan – Nghia Pham