The Amazing Race Vietnam: Cuộc đua kỳ thú 2019 is the sixth season of The Amazing Race Vietnam, a Vietnamese reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. It featured ten teams of two celebrities in a race around Vietnam for 300 million₫.
The season premiered on VTV3 and aired every Saturday primetime (8:00 p.m. UTC+7) from 6 July to 17 September 2019.
Singer and The Voice of Vietnam contestant Song Luân as well as singer and former racer Hương Giang hosted this season replacing Huy Khánh.
Beauty queens Đặng Thị Lệ Hằng and H'Hen Niê were the winners of this season.
Production Development and filming
In May 2019, rumors circulated that VTV3 and BHD were attempting to revive the franchise after a three-year hiatus from the previous season. Soon after, open casting calls for a new season of The Amazing Race Vietnam appeared. Filming for this season began on May 17, 2019, when fans of the show spotted the racers in Hà Giang Province.
On May 28, 2019, Season 3 winner and Season 5 runner-up Hương Giang posted an image of the show's clue envelope onto her social media leading to speculation that she would appear on the season. Later that day, images surfaced of Hương Giang checking teams into the Pit Stop in Da Lat. It was later revealed that Hương Giang would be temporarily talking over the role of host due to Song Luân having work commitments. Hương Giang is the second former racer that returned to host the show after Toya Montoya, who hosted two seasons of the Latin American edition after competing on the third season, as well as the third woman, after Toya Montoya and Tara Basro, and the first member of the transgender community to serve as an Amazing Race host. This season is also the second time a show has changed hosts partway through filming after the first season of the Chinese edition. Hương Giang also made an appearance during Leg 3 as a judge in one of the challenges.
On June 2, 2019, the show's Facebook page officially announced the revival of the show prior to the completion of the season's filming.
This season was the first time that an Amazing Race franchise visited North Korea, a country the original American edition can't visit due to the prohibition of American travelers to the nation implemented after the death of Otto Warmbier, and was the first foreign reality show to film inside the nation.
This season featured a new twist on the Express Pass. The recipients of the Express Pass could either use it to skip a task of their choosing or use it to save a team from elimination, much like the Salvage Pass. It was subsequently used to save a team during the series's first instance of a Double Elimination. Also, much like the previous season, teams departed the Pit Stop in five-minute intervals instead of the actual time difference between check-ins, similar to the Chinese celebrity series.
For the first time in the franchise's history, four teams crossed the Finish Line in the final leg. Four teams raced on the final legs of Season 25 and Season 26 of the American edition; unlike the former, a fourth team was eliminated early in the leg before reaching the Finish Line.
Marketing Sting Energy Drink, the primary sponsor of the previous seasons, returned for this season. TikTok and Vingroup also came on as sponsors.
Cast
On June 6, 2019, the cast was officially announced. This season's cast included Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 H'Hen Niê, Miss Universe Vietnam 2015 runner-up Đặng Thị Lệ Hằng, Miss Vietnam 2014 Nguyễn Cao Kỳ Duyên, actor Bình An, Vietnam Idol Season 2 winner Quốc Thiên, Miss Vietnam 2016 Đỗ Mỹ Linh, and model Lê Xuân Tiền. Singer S.T Sơn Thạch previously competed on The Amazing Race Vietnam 2013 with stuntman Lâm Hùng Phong but was part of the first team eliminated.
ContestantsAgeProfessionHometownStatus 40 Journalist Bắc Ninh, Bắc NinhEliminated 1st(in Quản Bạ, Hà Giang) 26 Sports EditorHải Dương, Hải Dương 24 Singer Cà Mau, Cà MauEliminated 2nd(in Hạ Long, Quảng Ninh) 24 Actor Da Nang(Returned to competition)Eliminated 3rd(in Kon Tum, Kon Tum) 30 Model HanoiEliminated 4th(in Kon Tum, Kon Tum) 31 Singer Gia Kiệm, Đồng Nai 27 Beauty Queen Thái Hòa, Nghệ AnEliminated 5th(in Tuy Hòa, Phú Yên) 27 ActorHo Chi Minh City 27 Master Trainer GermanyEliminated 6th(in Da Lat, Lâm Đồng) 29 Businessman Berlin, Germany 21 Actor HanoiEliminated 7th(in Ho Chi Minh City) 27 Singer Ho Chi Minh City 31 Supermodel Phú YênFourth Place 23 Beauty Queen Nam Định, Nam Định 23 Beauty Queen HanoiThird Place 23 Actor Phú Yên 29 SingerThe Amazing Race Vietnam 2013 Ho Chi Minh CitySecond Place 26 Actor Phú Thọ, Phú Thọ 26Beauty Queen Da NangWinners 27 Buôn Ma Thuột, Đắk Lắk
Results The following teams participated in the season, with their relationships at the time of filming and designated team colors. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television due to inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order: TeamPosition (by leg)Roadblocksperformed12 345678910Lệ Hằng & H'Hen Niê4th5th7th5th2nd2nd3rd1st2nd1stLệ Hằng 3, H'Hen Niê 5S.T & Bình An1st1st1st1st3rd2nd2nd3rd1st2ndSơn Thạch 4, Bình An 4Xuân Tiền & Mỹ Linh6th3rd3rd4th4th1st1st2nd3rd3rdXuân Tiền 4, Mỹ Linh 3Minh Triệu & Kỳ Duyên8th8th4th3rd5th4th4th4thMinh Triệu 4, Kỳ Duyên 4MLee & Quốc Anh2nd2nd2nd2nd1st4th5thMLee 4, Quốc Anh 3Johnny & Huy Trần3rd7th5th6th6thJohnny 3, Huy Trần 3Gia Huy & Hoàng Hạnh9th6th6th5thGia Huy 4, Hoàng Hạnh 1Quốc Thiên & Anh Quân5th4th8thQuốc Thiên 2, Anh Quân 2Emma & Kinh Lâm7th6thEmma 1, Kinh Lâm 1Xuân Tiến & Minh Vũ Xuân Tiến 0, Minh Vũ 1
Key A team placement means the team was eliminated. A indicates that the team won a Fast Forward. A indicates that the team decided to use the Express Pass on that leg to skip a task, while a indicates that the team was saved from elimination by the Express Pass holders. A team's placement indicates that the team came in last but was not eliminated. An placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and would not receive any money or provided vehicles during the next leg. A team placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and would have to wait an extra 90 minutes before departing on the next leg. A means the team chose to use a U-Turn; indicates the team who received it.
Notes
Both Lương Gia Huy & Hoàng Hạnh and Vũ Xuân Tiến & Chu Minh Vũ elected to take a 20-minute penalty for not finding a clue during the first task. They checked into the Pit Stop at the same time in last place; however, both teams were not eliminated as Song Luân notified them that Leg 1 was a non-elimination leg. Hoàng Hạnh elected to perform the Roadblock on Leg 2 but decided to switch and allow her partner Lương Gia Huy to complete the Roadblock as permitted in this task. As she initially declared that she would perform the Roadblock, this is included in her tally. As both Lệ Hằng & H'Hen Niê and Quốc Thiên & Anh Quân could not row across the lake as part of the Detour, their teams were both issued a 2-hour penalty at the site and had to hold heavy logs on their shoulders while waiting out their penalty. Johnny & Huy Trần initially arrived 7th, but were issued a 15-minute penalty for covering their Sting case during the final task, which was explicitly prohibited in the clue (Lương Gia Huy & Hoàng Hạnh had also covered the case but their case was also wet, so they had to redo the task and were not issued a penalty). Quốc Thiên & Anh Quân arrived at the Pit Stop right when the penalty-time expired, resulting in both teams checking into the Pit Stop simultaneously in last place. However, both teams were not eliminated as Song notified them that Leg 4 was a non-elimination leg. Leg 5 was a double-elimination leg. The last two teams checked in at the Pit Stop were both eliminated. Minh Triệu & Kỳ Duyên were initially eliminated for arriving 7th, but S.T Sơn Thạch & Bình An used their Express Pass to save them from elimination. Lệ Hằng & H'Hen Niê and S.T Sơn Thạch & Bình An both agreed to a 2nd place tie after both teams stepped on the Pit Stop mat at the same time. Lê Xuân Tiền & Đỗ Mỹ Linh were issued two penalties totalling one hour and 44 minutes (90 minutes for failing to complete the Roadblock, and 14 minutes for breaking seven eggs during the Roadblock). They also received a time credit due to production difficulties. However, neither the penalties nor the time credit affected their placement, and it was unaired. Johnny & Huy Trần were issued a 15-minute penalty for violating traffic laws while cycling to the Roadblock. As they arrived last to the Pit Stop, they were eliminated without the penalty being applied.
Prizes Leg 1 – The Express Pass (Thẻ Ưu Tiên) Leg 10 – 300,000,000₫
Race summary
Leg 1 (Hà Giang)
Airdate: 6 July 2019 Pả Vi, Hà Giang Province, Vietnam (Hmong Ethnic Community Cultural Tourism Village) (Starting Line) Pả Vi (Xúa Vừ Homestay) Pải Lủng (Mã Pí Lèng B Village) Pải Lủng (Mã Pí Lèng Pass) Sà Phìn (Hmong Royal Palace )
Additional tasks At the Hmong Ethnic Community Cultural Tourism Village, teams had to search the nearby hills for a hidden clue. At Xúa Vừ Homestay, teams had to randomly choose a number that corresponded to a pig and then had to paint a provided design onto that pig to receive their next clue. After painting their pig, teams had to ride a motorcycle to their next clue, which instructed teams to hike down to Mã Pí Lèng B Village, where they had to perform one of four randomly selected village chores to receive their next clue. The first chore required that teams assemble a stone wall between two flags high enough to reach a rope. The second chore required that teams cut a marked section of grass, bring it back to the village, and then chop up the grass to feed it to the cattle. The third chore required that each team member fill a basket with cow manure and use the manure to fertilize corn. The fourth chore required that teams grind corn. At Mã Pí Lèng Pass, one team member had to rappel into the pass, retrieve half of a clue, and climb back up a ladder with their clue in a basket on their back while their partner had to learn to play a tune on a bamboo flute called a sáo to receive the other half of their clue.
Leg 2 (Hà Giang)
Airdate: 13 July 2019 Đồng Văn (Thẩm Mã Slope) (Pit Start) Yên Minh (Yên Minh Off-Road Racing Area) Lao Và Chải (Homestay Ngán Chải) Cho Kem (Mường Homestay or Phở Tráng Kìm) Quản Bạ (Nam Dam Hamlet Cultural Museum) Tam Sơn (Quản Bạ Stadium)
In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to solve a brain teaser: "A father has six children and a 5x5 square piece of land and must divide the land so each child has a piece while the father retains the center piece of land." Team members had five minutes to remove bamboo sticks used to create the grid of 25 squares until they removed enough to form six shapes with the center square still untouched to receive their next clue, otherwise they had to wait a fifteen-minute penalty before making another attempt. Both team members could collaborate with each other while waiting out penalties, but only the participating member could move the bamboo. Also, teams were also allowed to switch who was performing the Roadblock only once during the task.
This season's first Detour was a choice between Làm? (Make?) or Ăn? (Eat?). In Make?, teams had to prepare fifteen noodle cakes (cái bánh phở) from of bánh phở to receive their next clue. In Eat?, each team member had to eat three bowls of phở Tráng Kìm to receive their next clue.
Additional tasks Teams began the leg at the bottom of Thẩm Mã Slope and had to make their way to the top of a series of switchbacks by either hiking or hitchhiking a ride to receive their next clue and a motorcycle, with the exception of the teams that finished last in the previous leg.