Nguyen Thu Mai: The first runner-up of Vietnam, a gentle woman who lived in silence, died of a violent illness

In the history of Vietnam's beauty contests, few people know that the first Miss contest since the country's reunification only selected one Miss and Runner-up. In which, Miss is Bui Bich Phuong and the runner-up is Nguyen Thu Mai.

Runner-up Nguyen Thu Mai was born in 1970. She is the daughter of musician Luong Ngoc Trac (real name Nguyen Que Ngach), her mother is Artist Thuy Chi. She graduated from the piano department of the Military University of Culture and Arts.

In 1988, she participated in the first Miss Tien Phong newspaper contest and won the runner-up position. That year's contest was held at the Youth Cultural House (Hanoi). This is an activity on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Tien Phong newspaper.

There are 90 beauties registered for the contest. The winner of the contest received a Mifa bicycle from the Socialist East Germany, the price of which was equivalent to 4 gold threads at that time and a crown.

That year, Thu Mai possessed a different beauty with a tall physique, curly brown hair, so at first glance, everyone thought she was a Western girl. Clear, attractive eyes and charming smile are the unmistakable beauties of runner-up Thu Mai.

"In our time, Ms. Thu Mai had a very different beauty. Ms. Thu Mai looks very beautiful because she has crooked teeth. She has a tall, beautiful and western physique. Her eyes are brown and deep, clear and attractive. She smiled very charmingly, her hair was slightly brown and curly. At that time, it was fashionable for anyone to have a few freckles on their face. Ms. Mai has it all.

Although she has a hybrid Western beauty, she has the quality of a Ha Thanh woman because of her gentleness, elegance, and gentleness," Miss Bui Bich Phuong shared.

At that time, runner-up Thu Mai was loved by many contestants because of her cheerful and sociable personality. She always brings a warm and energetic feeling from the first contact.

Miss Bui Bich Phuong also said that runner-up Thu Mai is always full of vitality. "I find this sentence very suitable for Ms. Thu Mai: "The tenderness of a woman can conquer the whole world".

Not only that, runner-up Thu Mai is also admired by other contestants when she has a boyfriend who encourages and takes care of her very devotedly. "Mr. The Cong takes care of and transports Ms. Thu Mai extremely attentively. Many women in the same contest recognize his meticulousness and attention to every little bit. We are happy for Ms. Mai because the two of them are as close as the picture with the shadow, the two have a husband and wife, very compatible," Miss Bich Phuong added.

Recalling the Miss Vietnam 1988 contest, journalist Duong Xuan Nam once shared that he liked and was impressed by the beauty of runner-up Nguyen Thu Mai. "I was very impressed with Mai that day. She's tall but beautiful. For me, Mai has a unique beauty and identity. In that year's contest, Mai got a fairly high score, on par with Bui Bich Phuong," Mr. Xuan Nam recounted.

According to Mr. Xuan Nam, the jury of the Miss Vietnam 1988 contest was divided into 2 camps, one side supported Bui Bich Phuong, the other side supported Nguyen Thu Mai. "Both are impressive. After that, we decide who responds with better behavior. After that, Bui Bich Phuong replied that it was a little better, so he won the crown that year," said Mr. Duong Xuan Nam.

After the contest, the top 3 beauties including: Bui Bich Phuong, Thu Mai, Thanh Huong sometimes meet. During a meeting, Miss Bich Phuong shared: "Actually, after the Miss Vietnam 1988 contest, we only met again a few times. Among them, the top 3 were me, Ms. Thu Mai and Ms. Thanh Huong who occasionally met to attend events organized by Tien Phong newspaper or the Central Youth Union at that time.

Later, we also met again a few times such as at the wedding ceremony of Ms. Thanh Huong. And once I went to visit Ms. Mai's house, at that time Ms. Mai's house was in Phan Huy Chu (Hanoi).

I always see her happy, fresh, and open. Ms. Mai studied Piano Department, Military University of Culture and Arts. She had a lover named Cong, and they later got married. Mr. Cong was very attentive, often picking her up. We admire their love very much," Bui Bich Phuong recounted.

After becoming the runner-up, Thu Mai's life is quite private and idyllic. She did not participate in showbiz, but became a piano and organ teacher for children. Runner-up Thu Mai is married to her boyfriend The Cong and has a daughter. In 2024, she died at the age of 54 due to kidney disease, a complication of diabetes. Her passing made the audience and many friends and colleagues mourn.

Miss Bui Bich Phuong added that the last time she met runner-up Nguyen Thu Mai was more than 30 years ago, in 1992. The Miss Vietnam Organizing Committee established the Vietnam Beauty Association and she met runner-up Nguyen Thu Mai again.

The Vietnam Beauty Association was established with the purpose of being beauties who spread good messages and use their influence to call for sponsorship for charity activities.

"At that time, I met Ms. Mai a few times. At that time, Ms. Mai had a chubby body because she had just given birth to a baby. That was the last event that I accompanied Ms. Mai," said Miss Bui Bich Phuong.

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