Stories about Hoa Lo prison

How did Hoa Lo set up?

The Hoa Lo Prison was a famous prison during the French colony in Vietnam war. Later, when it was sarcastically known to American prisoners of war as the Hanoi Hilton. Although the gatehouse remains as a museum, the prison still was demolished during the 1990’s. The former Hoa Lo ironically nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton where display focusing on the pilots during the American War.

Many photos showed in the Hoa Lo Prison


It’s necessary to remind Pete Peterson and Senator John McCain, who were very important people involved in the Hoa Lo. As you seen, McCain’s flight suit is displayed along with many photos reflecting Hanoi locals rescuing him from Truc Bach Lake after being shot down in the war. If you get a tour in Hanoi Travel, you might have chance to eye-contact with these significant photos which are translated into many languages as subtitle and explore more.

More than 2000 prisoners had sentenced in Hoa Lo

In 1896, the vast prison complex was built by the French and intended to house around many of inmates; records indicate that there were closed to more than 2000 prisoners. Honestly, The Hoa Lo has never been a successful prison for any purpose. The historical evidences showed that hundreds of prisoners escaped its wall over the years.

The atmosphere in The Hoa Lo Prison


Walking through the rooms in the prison, it is very easy to see the misery in the past. Besides. Southeast Asia is not renowned for the comfort of its prison. The Hoa Lo Prison in downtown, however, has a particularly grim history. Actually, most of the original jail has gone, later it is preserved as a museum.

A modern skyscraper with high-end Western restaurants and boutique stores take up much of the space now. People can walk through the cells that has been the scene of so much suffering. The walls of some cells on the dark have been cut away and replaced with glass so that you can peer into the tiny, dark and even dirty solitary confinement cells.

It is possible to see the panels of the test by English, Vietnamese and French. The official guide book even notes that there are many evidences of the American War showing how the prisoners were tortured. Besides, visitors may expect to listen to stories about museum that was from the U.S.

Until Hanoi Hilton

After all, The Hoa Lo Prison is a well-known place in the West and is one of the prisons where American pilots had been shot down. At the same time, they were captured as prisoners of war. The pilots called it as Hanoi Hilton.

It is believed that John McCain was held at various times during more than 5 years here. During Vietnam War, several American flyers held to stay longer. From these stories, The Prison of Hoa Lo is more famous to many people from all over the world. Most tourists travel to Hanoi to find more interesting things about it. You can once travel to Hanoi and explore.