Who is the first Miss Vietnam: Once a spy, captured by French colonialists?
The first Miss Vietnam was only 1m61 tall but had a beautiful face and profound intelligence.
On February 20, 1955, at the Lido Cho Lon theater (Saigon), the first Miss Vietnam contest was held with the participation of contestants living in the Southern region. Unlike modern beauty contests, this first Miss contest did not have a swimsuit performance. The crowned contestant was Cong Thi Nghia, born in 1932, a northerner who migrated to Saigon with her family.
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| Miss Cong Thi Nghia. (Photo source: Nhacxua.vn) |
Miss Cong Thi Nghia is only 1.61m tall, has measurements of 86 - 62 - 88 cm and weighs 53 kg. First runner-up is Nguyen Thi Ninh, also an immigrant from Hanoi and second runner-up is Ngo Yen Thu, a student at Can Tho University.
He was a spy and was captured by the French colonialists.
Ms. Cong Thi Nghia is better known by her name Thu Trang. Thu Trang is the pen name under which Cong Thi Nghia works as a journalist, writes literature and research books on history.
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| The outstanding beauty of Mrs. Thu Trang (aka Cong Thi Nghia). |
In 1950, she joined the Viet Minh, worked as a spy in the inner city of Saigon, and entered the war zone. Thu Trang was arrested by the French colonialists around July 1952 and imprisoned in Catinat outpost - now the headquarters of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City, then transferred to Saigon Central Prison - now the General Library of Ho Chi Minh City. In June 1953, lawyer Nguyen Huu Tho defended and freed Thu Trang, helping her regain her freedom.
After being released from prison, Thu Trang became a journalist, she also wrote poetry, short stories, and novels. Once, when she was sent by the editorial office to cover the 1955 Miss contest, some acquaintances in the organizing committee advised her to register for the contest. This opportunity helped Thu Trang step up to the highest position later.
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| Thu Trang's appearance in the movie Luc Van Tien. |
From the beginning of 1956, she entered the film industry with roles in films."We want to live"as Kieu Nguyet Nga in the movie"Luc Van Tien"(Director: Tong Ngoc Hap).
Sinful love affair with a young married director
In 1957, beauty queen - actress Thu Trang and director Tong Ngoc Hap broughtLuc Van Tienwent to Japan to dub, do music and attend the Asian Film Festival in this country. The trip was only for 2 people. She also did not expect that it was the beginning of an ill-fated love affair.
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| The perfect lines on the face of Vietnam's first Miss. |
After the trip, she became pregnant amid heavy public criticism. Ignoring the rumors, Miss Thu Trang still decided to give birth to a son, Tong Ngoc Van Tien, and continue living in Saigon.
In 1956, the "old resistance fighters" were being hunted down and received "dropped letters" from former comrades, Thu Trang decided to leave Saigon. The Diem regime at that time considered her peaceful departure as "losing a Viet Cong".
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| Image of Mrs. Thu Trang in her old age. |