Bà Tùng Long

Lê Thị Bạch Vân (Chinese: 黎氏白雲), courtesy name Tùng Long[1] (從龍), pen name Bà Tùng Long (婆從龍 / "Madame Tùng Long") was born on 1 August 1915 in Đà Nẵng (old birth certificate as 21 April 1915 in Hội An), French Annam. Her father Lê Tường was a journalist and politician who has been entered the Restoration Movement of Annam as a liaison man.

She has passed the primary education in Đà Nẵng and then one years at Đồng Khánh High School in Huế Capital. Since 1932, she followed her father to come Saigon and studied at Collège Des Jeunes Filles Indigènes. So she started her love with journalist Hồng Tiêu who has a real name Nguyễn Đức Huy.

She began her career as a journalist at the Phụ Nữ Tân Văn newspaper. When Phụ Nữ Tân Văn suspended, she has hired to rent Tân Thời newspaper's manchette and became the editor-in-chief. However, this newspaper was also suspended as soon. Then, she became a teacher for the French and Cochinchinese language at Tôn Thọ Tường school, at the same time as the Saigon Newspaper's collaborator. During World War II, her family (with her husband and 3 children) returned Nghĩa Kỳ commune (Quảng Ngãi Province) to settle. She was appointed as the united-headmistress for all of Nghĩa Kỳ's schools by local educational office.[2]

In 1951, her family (adding 3 children) moved to Hội An. Since 1952, she became a professor for schools Les Lauries, Tân Thịnh, Đạt Đức ... but the low salaries. So she continued as newspaper's collaborator. From 1954, pen name Bà Tùng Long has been familiar on categories Gỡ Rối Tơ Lòng (New Saigon Newspaper) and Tâm Tình Cởi Mở (Echo Newspaper). She was known much as a writer for women and their families.

After the Geneva Conference, her family moved to Saigon. She was both a teacher and a newspaper's collaborator, example : Echo Newspaper, South Newspaper, Female Forum Newspaper, Future Female Newspaper, People Newspaper ... In 1960, she succeed in the election of Revolutionary Women Association's Secretary-General.[3] She was also Quảng Ngãi Province's congresswoman. During 1960s, her earnings were 10 ounces for writings. To 1972, she declared for her setting pencil aside. In 2003, she re-appeared with her book Memoir of Bà Tùng Long.

A statistic, she published for 50 books, almost topics as family, love and women fate.

• Parents : Lê Tường (father)
• Husband : Nguyễn Đức Huy (married in 1935 until his death in 1985)
• Sons : Nguyễn Đức Trạch, Nguyễn Đức Lập, Nguyễn Đức Thạch, Nguyễn Đức Thông
• Daughters : Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hương, Nguyễn Thị Nghi Xương, Nguyễn Thị Thanh Bình, Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thái, Nguyễn Thị Phương Chi