Central gate of Hoa Lo
Our final day in Hanoi was spent doing a historical sites tour of the city. Our first stop was the Hoa Lo prison, also known as the Hanoi Hilton.
Hoa Lo was originally built by the French to imprison Communist Vietnamese political prisoners. At one time, the prison was a sprawling complex. Today, only part of the building has been preserved as a museum and the rest of it was torn down following the Vietnam War.
The prison has many different chambers that served different purposes. One was a large room with raised concrete platforms on two sides. There were ankle shackles at the end of the platforms. Prisoners would be lined up next to one another with their legs shackled, sitting or laying down on the concrete slab. There is an exposed toilet at one end of the room on a raised platform. Prisoners had absolutely no privacy here.
The death row and women's chambers were a bit different. These rooms were very small in very tight corridors. Some of the cells had ankle shackles while others were open rooms. Several prisoners would be squeezed into these tight spaces, with little room to move and stale air to breathe. Solitary cells were the creepiest of all. They were built in dark corners of the prison and had very little light. Prisoners in these cells would have no human contact.
I can only imagine how disgusting and filthy the prison was at one time. The historical posters informed us that many prisoners ended up dying of disease because of the lack of clean water and healthy food. Prisoners were also killed via guillotine and tortured with electrical shock devices.
Hoa Lo was originally built by the French to imprison Communist Vietnamese political prisoners. At one time, the prison was a sprawling complex. Today, only part of the building has been preserved as a museum and the rest of it was torn down following the Vietnam War.
The prison has many different chambers that served different purposes. One was a large room with raised concrete platforms on two sides. There were ankle shackles at the end of the platforms. Prisoners would be lined up next to one another with their legs shackled, sitting or laying down on the concrete slab. There is an exposed toilet at one end of the room on a raised platform. Prisoners had absolutely no privacy here.
The death row and women's chambers were a bit different. These rooms were very small in very tight corridors. Some of the cells had ankle shackles while others were open rooms. Several prisoners would be squeezed into these tight spaces, with little room to move and stale air to breathe. Solitary cells were the creepiest of all. They were built in dark corners of the prison and had very little light. Prisoners in these cells would have no human contact.
I can only imagine how disgusting and filthy the prison was at one time. The historical posters informed us that many prisoners ended up dying of disease because of the lack of clean water and healthy food. Prisoners were also killed via guillotine and tortured with electrical shock devices.
Guillotine
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Cell with ankle shackles
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Narrow death row corridor
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John McCain's flight suit and parachute
During the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese army used Hoa Lo to house American POWs. This is when the prison got its famous nickname, the Hanoi Hilton. During the war, the Vietnamese army used propaganda to claim that the American soldiers were treated nicely at the prison as if they were staying at the Hilton. Throughout the museum, we saw video footage and posters of American soldiers who, I'm going to guess, were threatened to participate in various advertising campaigns. I've read online that former prisoners have actually recounted the torture that happened at Hoa Lo.
One of the most famous American POWs to grace the Hanoi Hilton was Senator John McCain. The museum has his flight suit and parachute on display.
Following our trip to Hoa Lo, we went to a more positive historical site called the Temple of Literature. The Temple of Literature is Vietnam's first national university and was built in 1070. The site is really well preserved considering how old it is. The grounds are quite beautiful with several garden courtyards and impressive architecture. Although the temple isn't a university today, it seemed to be a popular spot for students because we saw many groups of them dressed up in traditional costume and taking photos.
One of the most famous American POWs to grace the Hanoi Hilton was Senator John McCain. The museum has his flight suit and parachute on display.
Following our trip to Hoa Lo, we went to a more positive historical site called the Temple of Literature. The Temple of Literature is Vietnam's first national university and was built in 1070. The site is really well preserved considering how old it is. The grounds are quite beautiful with several garden courtyards and impressive architecture. Although the temple isn't a university today, it seemed to be a popular spot for students because we saw many groups of them dressed up in traditional costume and taking photos.
Main gate of the Temple of Literature
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Courtyard garden
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Ancient architecture
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Cooks at Quan An Ngon
We ended our time in Hanoi with a great lunch at a restaurant called Quan An Ngon. This restaurant was similar to a restaurant we ate at in Ho Chi Minh City called Nha Hang Ngon. Quan An Ngon has a large dining area that is sort of like a food court filled with short tables and benches (which were a little uncomfortable because they were meant for small people... Joe was slightly cramped). Cooks line up around the inside perimeter of the restaurant with what looked like outdoor food stands. This experience gives you a taste of Vietnamese street food in a more upscale setting. It is a really popular spot for locals.
The language barrier at the restaurant was rough as most of the staff didn't speak English. So, Joe and I made guess orders on the menu and hoped for the best. The food didn't disappoint. We had fresh spring rolls with beef, fried spring rolls with crab, vermicilli with some sort of warm sauce and pork, and vietnamese fried rice. Another wonderful meal to end our time in Vietnam. :)
The language barrier at the restaurant was rough as most of the staff didn't speak English. So, Joe and I made guess orders on the menu and hoped for the best. The food didn't disappoint. We had fresh spring rolls with beef, fried spring rolls with crab, vermicilli with some sort of warm sauce and pork, and vietnamese fried rice. Another wonderful meal to end our time in Vietnam. :)
Joe at our table
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Busy day at the restaurant
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Vermicilli with pork and sauce
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