Peace under the embers of war at the Hoa Lo Prison Museum in Hanoi, Vietnam

The Hoa Lò Prison Museum in Hanoi, formerly known as Hỏa Lò Prison, was built by French colonists in 1896 and was then known as Maison Centrale. This prison is located in the center of Hanoi. Because the original location was a kiln village for making ceramics, the locals call it "the furnace." During the French colonial period, Huolu Prison was one of the largest prisons in North Vietnam, mainly used to detain political prisoners who opposed French colonialism. After North Vietnam's independence in 1954, Huolu Prison became a state prison and continued to hold serious criminals. During the Vietnam War, it was converted into a place to detain American prisoners of war. Because of its harsh conditions and the way it treated prisoners of war, it was ironically called the Hanoi Hilton by the US military. In 1993, about one-third of the original site in the southeast corner of Huolu Prison was converted into a museum. After the overall visit, I personally think this is a museum worth visiting in Hanoi. The prison displays many torture instruments used in the past, and the cells also contain relics left by the prisoners. There is also a towering guillotine and a small dark room where one leg is locked, which are both chilling. The dim cell and the only tree in the corridor formed a sharp contrast. I walked all the way with a heavy heart until the end where I saw a monument. I saw foreigners offering sacrifices with flowers, and it felt so peaceful. 🌈When visiting, it is recommended to rent an interpreter, which has a special Chinese channel so that you can learn more stories. Many Vietnamese revolutionaries, politicians such as Xuan Thuy, Mei Ngoc Thuy and Nguyen Van Min were also imprisoned here. You can rent an audio guide to learn more about the story, such as prisoners escaping from the sewers and going on strike because they were only given one prison uniform. Finally, I think the cruelty of war is vividly reflected here, and peace is the best gift of this era. 📍Hỏa Lò Prison 💰Tickets: 5W ⏰Opening hours: 8:30-11:30/13:30-16:30