H’Hen Nie (second from left) at the Miss Universe 2018 in Thailand. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

It’s Vietnam’s best ever performance in the Miss Universe contest. H’Hen Nie, a 25-year-old model from the Ede ethnic minority group in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, was crowned Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 in January.

Catriona Gray from the Philippines was crowned Miss Universe 2018. Contestants from South Africa and Venezuela were the first and second runners-up, respectively. The grand finale of the contest featured 94 participants from across the world, breaking 2017’s record of 92.