The Hoa Lo Prison (Hỏa Lò) in Hanoi is one of Vietnam's most historically significant and moving landmarks. It offers a profound insight into the country's turbulent history during the French colonial period and the Vietnam War.

The prison was built in the late 19th century (around 1896) by the French colonial rulers to detain Vietnamese resistance fighters and political prisoners. It was infamous for its harsh conditions and the cruel treatment of its inmates.

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Matto

December 7, 2023

Hiking

The "Hanoi Hilton" is also known from survivors such as John McCain and Robinson Risner, who described this place in gory detail, or from the films "The Hanoi Hilton". The prison exhibits focus on the sufferings of Vietnamese revolutionaries who were imprisoned (and sometimes executed) here when the French were masters of Vietnam in the early 20th century.

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Maik

January 13, 2019

Hiking

The prison "Maison Central" was built in 1904 by the French when Vietnam was part of Indochina under French colonial rule. Most of his prisoners at the time were political agitators and Vietnamese resistance fighters.

During the Vietnam War, the building served the North Vietnamese as a prison for American prisoners of war, notably American pilots. Following the Hilton Hotels was the ironic name of American prisoners of war for the institution "Hanoi Hilton".

The Vietnamese called the prison "Hỏa Lò", which translates as "burning furnace".

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Elevation -30 m

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Location: Vietnam

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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Hỏa Lò Prison (Maison Centrale)

#1.

Hoan Kiem Lake – Turtle Tower, Hoàn Kiếm Lake loop from Hanoi

#2.

St. Joseph's Cathedral Hanoi – Hanoi Train Street loop from Hanoi

#3.

Turtle Tower, Hoàn Kiếm Lake – Hoan Kiem Lake loop from Ngoc Ha Ward

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