Nguyen Thi Phi Van is a former female political prisoner, born and raised in Saigon. Since the 1960s, she has enthusiastically participated in the youth movement, pupils - students in Saigon - Gia Dinh area, in charge of distributing leaflets, flying flags, building foundations for young people to participate in the revolution.
Although studying at a private school (named Phan Sao Nam) is not required to wear ao dai, she still loves to wear colorful ao dai. During the period from 1960 to 1966, she often wore Ao dai to spread leaflets, go to school, teach, and participate in public activities in the inner city of Saigon.
In May 1966, she was monitored by the police and arrested at home. She asked to change her Ao dai before leaving. She wore Ao dai during the first three days of her arrest. Seeing that she was beaten and torn, so Venerable Thich Hieu Minh at An Quang temple gave money, and Ms. Dang Hong Nhut (Ut Nhut) asked someone to buy some pieces of cloth and sew her some clothes to wear. The place where she was first detained was a staion of the Capital Region, then she was taken through many detention areas, from the police headquarter’s prison to Thu Duc prison, tried and sentenced to two years. However, the time she was detained lasted for two and a half years because she did not comply with the prison rules for 6 months.
After being released from prison, she resumed her revolutionary activities. At the end of 1970, she was arrested again and detained in Ba Hoa station, then transferred to Chi Hoa, Thu Duc, Tan Hiep - Bien Hoa prisons and finally to Con Dao. During her time in captivity, she was tortured with batons, electrocuted, pressed water, ... damaged the pituitary gland, her body was then gradually deformed, with bone and joint pain, headaches, and convulsions. During her imprisonment in prison, she learned to embroider by hand and asked her mother to send her plain Ao dai for her to practice embroidery. So during those difficult days in prison, she had beautiful embroidered Ao dai and keeps them to this day.
After Con Dao was liberated on May 1, 1975, on May 10, 1975, she was freed and returned to work at Youth Union of City, was on the Standing Committee of District 11 and was Secretary of the Youth Union of Binh Thanh Ward. District 11. After that, she worked at the District Chamber of Commerce, holding the position of Deputy Economic Department of District 11 until her retirement.
In 2002, she retired and continued to work at the Youth Union Traditional Club; Political Prisoners Liaison Committee - Prisoners of War; District Women's War Invalids Club; Traditional Club of the Resistance in District 11.
In 2013, when the War Remnants Museum coordinated to organize the exhibition "Vietnamese women's Ao Dai going through the fire and smoke of war", she donated her ao dai for display.
Although her health is not good, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phi Van still enthusiastically accompanied the Museum regularly in exchanges, telling stories about the young years of struggle, about the arduous life in prison, spreading patriotic flame, ideal for students and youth unionists. . .
Today, she is living with her sister in District 11, HCMC. From 2017 until now, the Youth Union Members of War Remnants Museum has received support, regularly visited and shared with her the joys and sorrows of life. She was always optimistic and loved life like in the early days of participating in the student's struggle movement, with the fluttering shirts in the years of fighting.
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Portrait of former political prisoner Nguyen Thi Phi Van while studying at Phan Sao Nam school.
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Former female prisoner Nguyen Thi Phi Van interacts with visitors on the occasion of the opening of the exhibition "Vietnamese women's Ao Dai going through the flames of war" on November 22, 2013 at the War Remnants Museum.
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Youth union members visited and talked with Ms. Phi Van at her house on October 19, 2020.