by Pa Rock
World Traveler
Hoa Lo Prison was constructed by the French in Hanoi in 1896. It was used primarily to house and torture political prisoners who were almost exclusively Vietnamese. As the Vietnamese were finally beginning to drive the French from the country in 1954, they took over control of Hoa Lo Prison and began using it to house prisoners of war. American pilots who were held prisoner there began referring to the prison as the "Hanoi Hilton."
One of the most famous occupants of the Hanoi Hilton was American pilot John McCain. McCain returned to the prison for a brief visit twenty years after his release. His original flight suit is on display inside of the prison, as well as a photograph of the Vietnamese pulling him from a lake after he tried to parachute to safety.
Today much of the prison has been torn down and small shops have sprung up on land that was once part of the prison compound. A small portion of the exercise yard remains along with a couple of rooms that hold art work and dioramas depicting life in the prison during some of its worst times.
A trip through the Hanoi Hilton is a very sad experience.
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| Entrance to Hoa Lo Prison - a.k.a. The Hanoi Hilton |
Hoa Lo Prison was constructed by the French in Hanoi in 1896. It was used primarily to house and torture political prisoners who were almost exclusively Vietnamese. As the Vietnamese were finally beginning to drive the French from the country in 1954, they took over control of Hoa Lo Prison and began using it to house prisoners of war. American pilots who were held prisoner there began referring to the prison as the "Hanoi Hilton."
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| Visitor regulations |
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| Old enlarged photo of Vietnamese prisoners of the French |
Today much of the prison has been torn down and small shops have sprung up on land that was once part of the prison compound. A small portion of the exercise yard remains along with a couple of rooms that hold art work and dioramas depicting life in the prison during some of its worst times.
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| Diorama of Vietnamese prisoners with one leg shackled |
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| More depiction of human suffering |
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| And another |
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| Some rusted bars from the original cells |
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| The almond tree was in the exercise yard |
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| Bronze wall hanging depicting prisoner life |
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| Another bronze display of suffering at the prison |
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| The entire prison was a very "dark" experience |
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| Guillotine used by the French government |
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| Another diorama display of a prisoner |
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| More art representations of prisoners |
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| Statement about American pilots as prisoners of war |
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| John McCain's Flight Suit |
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| Photo of John McCain being pulled from the lake by his Vietnamese captors. |
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