Nguyen Thi Lan was born in 1919 in the district of Tam Nong in the province of Phu Tho. She participated in the seizure of power in Thanh Oai, Ha Dong province, in August 1945. In 1946 she was sent back to Phu Tho where she worked in communications (giao lien), and also joined the commune’s militia and its women’s committee.