Hoa Lo Prison
Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi is another noteworthy stop on your Vietnam private trip. You may be surprised: a prison in the capital city? That's correct. Indeed, all historical artifacts and antiquities date from the Vietnam-France War and depict the Vietnamese battle for freedom. One horrible antique is the French guillotine, which was used to behead Vietnamese insurgents. Despite numerous recent repairs, Hoa Lo Prison provides a genuine feeling of the glorious past. This historical site also documented the imprisonment of US pilots, including Senator John McCain, as well as the inhumanity and violence that around 2000 Vietnamese nationalist leaders and rebels faced under the French colony.
The French constructed the massive jail complex in 1896. Originally designed to keep 450 criminals, records show that during the 1930s, there were close to 2000 detainees. Hoa Lo was never a particularly effective jail, and hundreds of inmates escaped through sewage grates throughout the years.
Nowadays, Hoa Lo is a tourist attraction with a museum and commercial structures known as the "Hanoi Towers." This jail also has several videos and documentation on Communist soldiers during the Vietnam War. A large number of valuable materials, as well as a scientific show, are on display. Hoa Lo Prison is an outstanding site that should not be overlooked while planning a trip to Vietnam.
Location: 1 Hoa Lo, Tran Hung Dao Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
