
TRAVEL GUIDENgày: 06-04-2023 by: tropicaltrekking
UNBROKE VIETNAMESE SPIRIT: THE PRISONER'S NIGHT AT HOA LO
Hoa Lo Prison is known as a symbol of the indomitable and resilient spirit of the Vietnamese people in the struggle for national independence. A trip to Hanoi would not be complete without visiting this site to learn more about the history of the country and the unshakable patriotism of the locals.
Hoa Lo Prison, formerly referred to as "Hell on Earth," is a reminder of Vietnam's bloody past. Visitors must view the building since it stands as a silent witness in the middle of the busy capital.
Brief history of Hoa Lo prison
It was originally constructed during the French colonial era and given the name "Maison Centrale". It housed Vietnamese dissidents and revolutionaries, and it served as a refuge for many South Vietnamese resistance leaders. Hoa Lo, which means "stove," "fire furnace," or "fire furnace," is the name of a community that is known for producing portable ceramics and casseroles. The French then conquered the village and built the jails and courts that are still in use today. The objective to preserve the location's history has been given new life by the conversion of the prison's remaining structures into a museum and the night tour "Sacred Night - Vietnamese Spirit", this well-known name.
Hoa Lo Prison was built by the French between 1886 and 1901, while Vietnam was still a part of French Indochina. The prison's original name was Maison Centrale; this is now its more popular moniker. jails in France. Political prisoners who had fought for independence during the conflict were housed there. Inhumane living conditions and almost 2,000 convicts were imprisoned there by 1954. They were chained to the walls. The brutal guillotine, which the French colonialists employed throughout the region, was used to execute a number of Vietnamese revolutionaries.
The prison was turned into a Vietnamese facility in 1954, when the French were forced out of Hanoi. Several American pilots taken prisoner during the Second Indochina War, including senators John McCain and Douglas Peterson, the first ambassadors to the post-Vietnam war, were held here from 1964 to 1973. As the war came to an end, Hoa Lo prisoners were gradually let go.
Political militants were kept in the prison for the following 20 years. It was shut down and nearly destroyed in 1990 to make room for high-rise development in the developing Hanoi.
Explore the special architecture of Hoa Lo Prison
Hoa Lo Prison in Indochina was once thought to be impenetrable and is encircled by walls that are 4 meters high and 0.5 meters thick, inlaid with broken glass and high-voltage barbed wire. In order for the guards to keep an eye on even the smallest moves of the inmates, four watchtowers have been erected at each of the prison's four corners.
The inside of Hoa Lo Prison, which has a floor area of 12,000 square meters, is divided into a variety of spaces, including a guard house, a medical house, a cast iron house, a textile industry, and 7 prisons for the accused. Those who participate in violent crime or dissident activity are detained in a horrible location called the cachot. Cachot is regarded as the worst hell because there isn't any natural light, air, or space. For all Vietnamese detainees at the time, it was a nightmare.
Impressive experiences at Hoa Lo prison
The trip will begin in July 2020 and run on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays beginning at 19:00 for 90 minutes. Highlighting the experiences of the Vietnamese revolutionaries detained here during the French Colonial Period is the main goal of both the museum and the night tour.
You will be able to move around numerous places with realistic visuals exposed right in front of your eyes starting from the first display room. The prison has held and tormented several comrades and revolutionaries both physically and mentally over the course of its decades-long existence. The 4m high guillotine is the most prominent feature, making this the most infamous prison in the world at the time.
Visitors that travel to prisons and dungeons stop to admire the 100-year-old eagle tree, which is also connected to the lives of many revolutionary fighters and aids them in overcoming their difficult circumstances. here. Additionally, there are tales of female soldiers who sew towels and pillowcases all day and night to send overseas.
And there are many, many other emotions that this journey brings. Nothing is more real than the sensation of visiting the location and having your own personal experience there. You will undoubtedly learn a lot more on the tour of Hoa Lo jail, including how to "decode" the attractiveness of the location.
Where is Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi?
Address: No. 1, Hoa Lo, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Opening hours: From 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily (including public holidays)
Admission ticket: 30,000 VND/person