Tran le xuan biography for kids

First Lady of South Vietnam from 1955 to 1963

In this Vietnamese name, the surname is Trần, but is often simplified to Tran in English-language text. In accordance with Vietnamese custom, this person should be referred to by the given name, Xuân.

Trần Lệ Xuân (Vietnamese pronunciation:[t͡ɕən˨˩le˧˨ʔswən˧˧]; 22 August 1924 – 24 April 2011), more popularly known in English as Madame Nhu, was the de factoFirst Lady of South Vietnam from 1955 to 1963. She was the wife of Ngô Đình Nhu, who was the brother and chief advisor to President Ngô Đình Diệm. As Diệm was a lifelong bachelor and because she and her family lived in Independence Palace together with him, she was considered to be the first lady.

Known for her incendiary comments that attacked and severely denounced the Buddhist community of South Vietnam and the strong U.S. influence and presence in the country, she went to live in exile in France after her husband, Nhu, and her brother-in-law, Diệm, were assassinated in 1963.

Early years

Trần Lệ Xuân, whose given name means "Spring's Beauty," was born in 1924 into a wealthy aristocratic family in Hanoi, French Indochina, then part of the French colonial empire. Her paternal grandfather was close to the French colonial administration, while her father, Trần Văn Chương, studied law in France and practiced in Bac Lieu in the Mekong Delta before marrying into the ruling imperial dynasty. Her father also served as the first foreign secretary for Indochina under Japanese occupation. Her mother, Thân Thị Nam Trân, was a granddaughter of Emperor Đồng Khánh and a cousin of Emperor Bảo Đại. The Trầns were under observation by the French police who doubted their loyalty to France, with M. Chương dismissed as a "little runt" controlled by his wife, while Madame Chương, described as "beautiful and very intriguing...the one who directs her husband," was known for "her do

Located on a romantic pine hill, a significant position of Da Lat, Tran Le Xuan Palace was built almost a half of century ago. This was the destination for relaxation and entertainment of Mr. Chief Advisor Ngo Dinh Nhu and his wife, the First Lady Tran Le Xuan.

Tran Le Xuan family started to build the private mansion complex in 1958 after completing the purchase of 13,000 square meter property.

However, after the coup in 1963, brothers Diem and Nhu were assassinated, Tran Le Xuan and her children went into exile, the private mansion was confiscated and handed over to Da Lat City Hall for management. Many valuable assets in the property  were stolen and taken away at that time.

In 1969, the property was transferred to the Ministry of Ethnic Development as the Museum of Central Highlands Ethnology.

In 1975, after the fall of the Republic of Vietnam’s Government, many precious artifacts and exhibits were stolen, the buildings were damaged. Tran Le Xuan Palace became ruined and sunk into oblivion.

After many ups and downs, in 2006, the complex was restored to become headquarter of the National Archives Center No. 4, a subordinate of the State Records and Archives Department of Vietnam. It’s said that the transformation from Tran Le Xuan Palace to an archival institution is a kind of predestination.

Born in 1924
Hanoi, Vietnam

South Vietnamese political figure

Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu is one of the most controversial figures of the early Vietnam War. As the sister-in-law of Ngo Dinh Diem (see entry), who served as the president of South Vietnam from 1954 to 1963, Madame Nhu acted as the unofficial first lady and held a great deal of influence in the government. She was beautiful and charming but also proved to be devious and power-hungry. She often embarrassed the president with her outrageous behavior and insensitive remarks. Many historians claim that she contributed to the downfall of Diem's government.

A privileged childhood

Madame Nhu was born in 1924 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Her name at birth was Tran Le Xuan, which means "beautiful spring" in Vietnamese. She was the second of three children born into a wealthy and prominent family. Her father, Tran Van Chuong, was a Paris-educated attorney, and her mother, Madame Chuong, was descended from Vietnamese royalty. At the time of Madame Nhu's birth, Vietnam was a colony of France. Both sides of her family had earned great fortunes serving in the French colonial government. Madame Nhu grew up in a luxurious home with twenty servants to take care of her every need.

During her teen years, Madame Nhu attended a prestigious French-speaking high school in Vietnam. Although she was highly intelligent, she was a poor student and dropped out before completing her education. In 1943 she married Ngo Dinh Nhu, a man nearly twice her age who was the younger brother of Ngo Dinh Diem. At that time, Diem was just beginning to attract attention as a political figure. He positioned himself as a true nationalist who opposed both the French and the Vietnamese Communists known as the Viet Minh. The French colonial government resented Diem's political activities and struck back at him by dismissing his brother Nhu from his job in the National Library.

For the next few years, Madame Nhu and

Tran Le Xuan was renowned for her fashion style that harmoniously blended traditional and modern elements. She often appeared in elegant boat-neck ao dai. Choosing the boat-neck ao dai was a bold decision for Tran Le Xuan. At that time, traditional ao dai typically featured high, modest collars, reflecting the seriousness and grace of Vietnamese women.

By changing this design, Tran Le Xuan asserted her confident and bold personal style, breaking traditional fashion rules to affirm her identity and power. Her boat-neck ao dai were often made from luxurious fabrics with intricate patterns, blending traditional beauty with modern style, creating an image that was both alluring and powerful.

Fashion not only allowed Tran Le Xuan to shine but also served as a tool for her to assert power and advocate for feminism. In an era when women were often overlooked in political matters, she used her clothing to establish her status. Her elegant and powerful outfits helped convey a message about women's leadership potential.

The influence of Tran Le Xuan on modern Vietnamese fashion remains evident. Her style has inspired many generations of Vietnamese women in how to dress and express themselves. She demonstrated that fashion can be a powerful tool in the struggle for feminism, and that women can use personal style to assert their status in society. The lessons about feminism derived from her style are still relevant today, as women become increasingly aware of their rights and roles in society.

Through the elegance and power of her fashion, Tran Le Xuan not only asserted her unique personality but also left a proud legacy of feminism and style for future generations.