{"id":9193,"date":"2021-09-16T17:33:29","date_gmt":"2021-09-16T09:33:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=9193"},"modified":"2021-09-21T14:16:52","modified_gmt":"2021-09-21T06:16:52","slug":"dang-tuyet-mai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/dang-tuyet-mai\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai: From An Air Hostess Chased By A Jet To A Second Lady"},"content":{"rendered":"

The love story of \u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai, or Madame Nguy\u1ec5n Cao K\u1ef3<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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What was dating like in the 1960s? How did the past generations flirt with one another?<\/span><\/p>\n

For some couples, it was a candlelit dinner in an intimate restaurant booth or a picnic with a basket of food and flowers. For those who couldn\u2019t afford it, leaving a love letter at the doorstep or sneaking up on a lover\u2019s balcony to whisper sweet nothings would simply do the trick.<\/span><\/p>\n

For \u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai, a then-air hostess in her early 20s, it was being chased by a military jet by one of the most powerful men in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how the love story of <\/span>\u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai<\/b>, then-South Vietnam\u2019s Second Lady, unfolded.<\/span><\/p>\n

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She was one of Vietnam\u2019s first air hostesses<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit: <\/span>Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai was born in 1941 into a Buddhist family in B\u1eafc Ninh, northern Vietnam, and spent her childhood in Hanoi.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1953, her family emigrated to Dalat in then-South Vietnam, where she enjoyed a French education at the Lyc\u00e9e Yersin School.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: <\/span>Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

At the age of 18, she was employed by Air Vietnam (1951-1975) and became one of Vietnam\u2019s first air hostesses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Air Vietnam set very high recruitment standards. Considering the faces of the airline company itself, all of its air hostesses were required to be fluent in both French and English, according to <\/span>Nh\u1ea1c X\u01b0a<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nAir Vietnam cabin crew<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>Nh\u1ea1c X\u01b0a<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

French-educated and a lover of fashion, \u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai had great taste in clothing. Aside from <\/span>\u00e1o d\u00e0i<\/span><\/em> as her work uniform, she was often seen in demure Western-style dresses with trendy accessories that revealed her artistic flair.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in the day, working in an airline was seen as a new and desirable job. Because there were not many Vietnamese air hostesses in the early 1960s, \u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai soon caught the eyes of many local bigwigs and was highly sought after.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage adapted from: <\/span>Nh\u1ea1c X\u01b0a<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a><\/em>
\nLegend has it that she had received numerous offers to work in the film industry or feature in advertisements, but she turned them all down, given her conservative Confucian upbringing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage adapted from: <\/span>John Malmin\/Calisphere<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

She had many admirers, among whom was <\/span>Nguy\u1ec5n Cao K\u1ef3 <\/b>(1930-2011), a then-military general who was on track to becoming the second-most powerful man in the country. Apart from his political career, General K\u1ef3 was also widely known as the man who chased his crush with a jet.<\/span><\/p>\n

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She was chased by a military jet while working<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit: <\/span>Nh\u1ea1c X\u01b0a<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In an interview with Ng\u1ee5y V\u0169 from <\/span>Little Saigon TV<\/span><\/a>, \u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai recalled this memorable event, which later became a legendary anecdote.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to her, General K\u1ef3 and his colleague flew two separate jets chasing after the plane that she was working on.<\/span><\/p>\n

As she was doing her job, she noticed a commotion among the passengers and saw that many were looking out the windows in an excited manner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Almost instantly, she received an urgent call from a pilot, \u201cPlease look out the windows!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As she glanced out the windows, she saw two jets flying alongside the plane.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, those jets were flying in loops and spinning about, performing aerial acrobatics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Needless to say, the only one who had the power and boldness to do such a thing was no other than General K\u1ef3 – then <\/span>chief of the then-Republic of Vietnam Air Force<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nNguy\u1ec5n Cao K\u1ef3 (left) and \u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai (right)<\/em>
\nImage credit: <\/span>Darryl Henley<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cPlease tell General K\u1ef3 to go home,\u201d the pilot whispered to \u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai in a worried voice. \u201cThis is a violation of airspace law. His flirting method is romantic but too dangerous.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In response to the pilot\u2019s request, the bewildered air hostess spoke with General K\u1ef3 via an intercom and asked him nicely to stop his aerial courtship.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in the middle of my shift. Besides, the passengers are scared.\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai (right)<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>Nh\u1ea1c X\u01b0a<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t forget to thank him for his amazing efforts to impress her.<\/span><\/p>\n

After that unforgettable event, General K\u1ef3 continue pursuing \u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai and their whirlwind romance blossomed into an extravagant wedding in November 1964 at Caravelle Hotel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: <\/span>Nh\u1ea1c X\u01b0a<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In June 1965, General K\u1ef3 became the Prime Minister and later on Vice President of the then-Republic of Vietnam (then-South Vietnam). As a matter of course, \u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai became the Second Lady and was often addressed as Madame Nguy\u1ec5n Cao K\u1ef3.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage adapted from: <\/i>Nh\u1ea1c X\u01b0a<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

From a stylish air hostess, Madame K\u1ef3 became a national fashion icon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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She was among the most stylish and beautiful political wives in Vietnam\u2019s modern history<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nImage adapted from: Nh\u1ea1c X\u01b0a<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

After her husband became a politician, Madame K\u1ef3 started making appearances in many ceremonial events in and outside Vietnam.<\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: <\/span>Paul Slade\/Paris Match<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

From elegant \u00e1o d\u00e0i<\/em> that emphasized her slim figure for state dinners to glamorous gowns for inaugural balls to a military jumpsuit for a field trip, she feasted everyone\u2019s eyes with various wardrobe staples.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Madame K\u1ef3 also had a penchant for accessories.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: <\/span><\/em>Famousfix<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

From classy pearls to jaunty fedora hats to snazzy oversized sunglasses, she knew exactly how to complement her graceful and chic look.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: Nh\u1ea1c X\u01b0a<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Images of her flooded newspapers, and Madame K\u1ef3 became synonymous with refinement and sophistication.<\/span><\/p>\n

In April 1975, Madame K\u1ef3 and her family left Saigon to settle in the US.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Life in the US and her youthful looks in her advanced years<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit: Redsvn<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

To make a living in a foreign land, Madame K\u1ef3 and her husband opened a liquor store in Norwalk, California, according to the LA Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n

No longer a Second Lady, Madame K\u1ef3 had to drive, cook, and do basically everything by herself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage adapted from: mason jonh<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Even so, she adapted quite well. She mingled more with the Vietnamese community, joined recreational activities, and even became an occasional show host for a Vietnamese music show called Asia while in her 60s.\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no denying that her beauty and sense of fashion stood the test of time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: Nh\u1ea1c X\u01b0a<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In 1989, she divorced General K\u1ef3 and remarried a few years later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In her 70s, she still astounded everyone with her youthful looks and graceful manners befitting a former Second Lady.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On 21st December 2016, she passed away in <\/span>Hoag Hospital in<\/span> Newport Beach<\/span>, California.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nNguy\u1ec5n Cao K\u1ef3 Duy\u00ean (left) and \u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai (right)<\/em>
\nImage adapted from: <\/span><\/em>Ky Duyen House<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>She had one daughter with <\/span>General K\u1ef3 – <\/span>Nguy\u1ec5n Cao K\u1ef3 Duy\u00ean<\/b>. Her daughter is a famous public figure in the overseas Vietnamese community and best known as the regular host of <\/span>Paris By Night<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The embodiment of grace and fashion<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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In many people\u2019s eyes, Madame K\u1ef3 was the perfect embodiment of what a First Lady should be: well-mannered, beautifully dressed, and relatable. On top of that, she was also known to be very humble and private about her personal life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many First Ladies as well as Second Ladies in Vietnam\u2019s modern history, but \u0110\u1eb7ng Tuy\u1ebft Mai, or Madame K\u1ef3, was probably the most popular and influential political wife.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The love story between her and General K\u1ef3, though without a happy ending, still goes down in history as one of the most romantic local anecdotes. Thanks to her, we know that many of the movers and shakers in Vietnamese history could be quite romantic, as it turns out.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also check out:<\/span><\/p>\n