The Hoa Lo Prison, later known to American prisoners of war as the "Hanoi Hilton", was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Let's explore it with our Hanoi city tour!
Located in downtown Hanoi, the Hoa Lo Prison or the Hanoi Hilton was built by the French administration in 1896 when Vietnam was still part of French Indochina. The French called the prison Maison Centrale - a traditional euphemism to denote prisons in France.
Hoa Lo prison was built on top of the ancient Phu Khanh village, famous for centuries in Vietnam for making earthenware kettles, teapots and portable stoves. The French destroyed it and in its place built one of the largest prison complexes in Indochina – at the time the facility also included a courthouse and the headquarters of the secret police. The prison is an emblem of the worst behavior an oppressor can inflict on the oppressed. However, Hoa Lo also served as a de facto university for scores of prisoners, and many political leaders of Vietnam spent time in its cells. They huddled together for years on end, educating one another on how to get rid of their French overlords, and came up with not only strategy, but ideology. From 1930 to 1945, the jail also housed female prisoners and their photo portraits hang forlornly on a wall.
This prison was built by the French between 1886 and 1901. It was intended to hold Vietnamese prisoners, particularly political prisoners agitating for independence who were often subject to torture and execution. A 1913 renovation expanded its capacity from 460 inmates to 600. It was nevertheless often overcrowded, holding some 730 prisoners on a given day in 1916, a figure which would rise to 895 in 1922 and 1,430 in 1933. By 1954 it held more than 2000 people; Large population and poor conditions continued were one of the reasons why this prison became so hated in the Vietnam, and many people being sent there became more and more angry against French Government and their colonization of Vietnam. It was recorded that many political prisoners started gathering likeminded people and converting the local Vietnamese population because of the harsh conditions inside this prison. Conditions were appalling; food was watery soup and bread. Prisoners were variously isolated, starved, beaten, tortured for countless hours and paraded in anti-American propaganda. "It is easy to die but hard to live," a prison guard told one new arrival, "and we will show you just how hard it is to live." The prison is really “A Hell on Earth”. “According to regulation, foods for prisoners were changed; a meal with pork meat Sunday, it was old sow meat or stringy meat. Three meals with boiled old buffalo meat which was so tough, the other meals were small chub with its gut which were boiled with soybean jam, mould dry fish, boiled soya curd. Vegetables vary on seasonal basis: water dropwort, white radish, boiled cucurbit or stunted water morning glory. Popular rice were crushed white rice from the south which were out of date, having parasites and being very insipid. Many prisoners had heart oedema caused by eating that kind of rice for a long time. There was a time when 40 prisoners died in a month (From “Unforgettable time” written by female prisoners in Hoa Lo, in the time 1939 – 1945). Soon Hoa Loa prison (which can be translated as "fiery furnace" or "hell's hole") became one of the symbols of colonialist exploitation that contributed to the start of the Vietnamese war.
Some prisoners used Hanoi’s underground sewer system as an escape route and their daring is depicted in a sculptural installation at the jail. In 1945, 16 political solders used the underground sewer to escape from this prison but just 7 prisoners succeed. And they still took part in Vietnamese revolution and became leaders of Vietnam war.
After the start of the Vietnam War, Hoa Loa prison became one of the central points for American POWs. In addition to the inhumane treatment of the prisoners, Vietnamese government used extensive methods of torture to extract military information out of the US soldiers. They used rope bindings, irons, beatings, and prolonged solitary confinement to break the will of individual and groups, and they often wanted from soldier to write public letters that described their prison conditions in favorable light. As the war went on, torture slowly subsided and during 1670 every American POW was transported to Hoa Lo Prison (which was called by soldiers Hanoi Hilton). Large community of US soldiers created better atmosphere that greatly boosted their moral. Some of the most notable soldiers that were imprisoned there were US Senator John McCain, future U.S. Vice-Presidential candidate James Stockdale and decorated U.S. Air Force pilot Bud Day. All American pilots prisoners received decent and humane treatment in accordance with the Geneva Conventions by the Vietnamese Government. The American pilots prisoners were taught to do things that every single Vietnamese child knows well how to do. They were allowed to do physical exercises regularly. Their privacy and personal time were also well respected. Despite the extremely difficult situation caused by U.S bombing itself. All American pilots prisoners were given much better living conditions. The humane treatment of the Vietnamese Government has converted most of American pilots prisoners. They now have changed their minds and points of view about the crimes they committed as well as realized the unjust war that they were batting against innocent Vietnamese people. Moreover, the American pilots prisoners enjoyed their freedom of religion. They were also given any possible opportunities to meet with international journalists and visitors/representatives of international humanitarian organizations. The 1973 Paris Peace Accords finally brought peace to North of Vietnam. Their shorts of stay in Hanoi Hilton “Hoa Lo” varied from one to another but all of them had experienced and deeply appreciated the humane treatment of the Government of Vietnam.
Hanoi Tower, built on the site of the infamous prison "Hanoi Hilton"; the entrance to the remaining parts of the prison visible in the foreground. By 1996, most of the walls of the Hanoi Hilton had been torn down to make way for new construction. Portions of the walls were retained for historical reasons. The Vietnamese also have bitter memories of the prison, for many communist revolutionaries were kept and tortured there. In 1998, the old front of the prison was painted and restored and the remaining portions of the prison were turned into a tourist site. Some of the cells have been opened and considerable information about Vietnamese prisoners is available. The information about the U.S. prisoners of war is unreliable. There is now a Hilton Hotel in Hanoi, called the Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel, which opened in 1999. It was built decades after the Vietnam War was over, but Hilton carefully avoided reusing the dreaded name Hanoi Hilton.
Hoa Lo Prison is a historical attraction to many local and foreign visitors. You should pay a visit to the prison to experience the history with your own eyes.
>>>Read more: HANOI – PARADISE OF STREET FOOD TOUR IN THE WORLD
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