Mr. Nguyễn Văn Tư, 100, fixes the headdress for his wife Phạm thị Hồi, 100 as they both celebrate centennial wishes from local authorities in Hồ Chí Minh City for their longevity. VNS Photos

HCM CITY It’s Vietnamese tradition to bestow goodwill and health to the elderly in local communities. This spring a special couple, Ms Phạm Thị Hồi and Mr. Nguyễn Văn Tư, made it as they are both 100 years old together.

They have come through the August revolution as young people with conscience, they have lived through war, she lived through the famine in the North in 1945, he went back to work in his home town Sài Gòn until final reunification in 1975. They both have gone through the economic hardship of the 1980s, the opening days of the 1990, and most recently they survived the Covid pandemic.

They have every reason to cherish the life they have lived and the love they have shared, both on personal accounts, and for their country.

The couple still live together at home, reading newspapers and sharing the news together everyday.

They were both born in 1926 in two different provinces in the North and South of the then Việt Nam of French Indochina.

But the ideals of fighting for freedom of their countries got both joining the sweeping flow of the August Revolution, her in home Province in Thái Bình, him in the Ba Son Ship Repair company in Sài Gòn. He joined the resistance war to fight the French return to Sài Gòn until 1954.

After the Geneva Agreement that divided Việt Nam at parallel 17, he joined the revolutionary forces to move North and ended up working in Hải Phòng Shipbuilding Company in the North.

They met in Thái Bình Province when he was on a working assignment, where she had been working in women affairs since 1946.

Madame Phạm thị Hồi holds her 2-month-old greatgrandchild in her arms.

In 1969 they had to part as he was heading South to work until Việt Nam became united in 1975. While her husband was away, she was actively working in Thái Bình, became Deputy Chairwoman of Vũ Thư District’s People’s Committee until she moved to Hồ Chí Minh City to reunite with her husband in 1976.

Madame Ngô Hải Yến (right) Deputy Chairwoman of Sài Gòn Ward People's Committee presented the for Madame Phạm Thị Hồi commemorating her 100 years of age.

There he kept working in the city’s ship repair and building sector, and she in Human Resources of the Department of Commerce until retirement.

Their long life shine bright not only for their family but also for the community and many others who got to know their love for the country, their lifelong achievement and their own love on which their family was built.

On February 3rd, the founding day of Việt Nam Communist Party, she received the 80th year Communist Party member badge, an honour he is scheduled to receive on National Day of September 2nd later this year.

A rare opportunity for Madam Ngô Hải Yến to presetn Mr. Nguyễn Văn Tư the 100 years of age recognition and salutation for the centennial revolutionary couple.

They still live together at home and their daily activities sometimes shared online by their children which receive many well-wishes from people around the country asking to release their good vibes to many more so that they get to live such a long meaningful life together. VNS