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A very sad moment in Vietnamese History, of the events of the war and what went on in Hoa Lo Prison. Arrested US pilots called it the 'Hilton Hanoi'. You can see how prisoners were treated and how they lived in the prison cells. A good morale lesson on why we don't need wars and the why we need the whole world to leave in harmony. The tickets are 30.000 VND for entry. You can also purchase the 'Hao Lo Prison: Historical Relic' publication for just 20.000 VND. The publication contains interesting facts and pictures. There is a souvenir shop in the prison, the souvenir there cost cheaper than compared to official souvenir shops in the city.…
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Date of experience: February 2020
1 Helpful vote
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At only 30k VND entry (50k VND for the audio guide, which is very good) this is definitely worth a trip to experience some of the horrors faced by Vietnamese prisoners during colonial rule. I say Vietnamese political prisoners because very little mention is given to "normal" prisoners and even less about why people were in there in the first place. Regardless, the prison is quite disturbing and they've done a great job in recreating some of the horrors, whilst also not going for "shock value". Any Americans who want to learn more about US captives will probably be disappointed. Whilst a lot of the audio guide is given over to individual cases, the framing is very much around how well they were treated. Somewhat at odds with what went before under the French. If you can look beyond some of the propaganda (which is true of any museum about Nationalist heros) then there is a lot to learn and admire here …
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Date of experience: December 2020
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Seeing first hand the Hanoi Hilton was very eye opening. You experience the brutal lifestyle of the people serving their time in Hoa Lo Prison makes you realize how much better life in the modern world really is. French Colonial prison exhibit is what I found the most interesting. Seeing artifacts left behind, the guillotine used for sentencing, and parts of the sewer system in which political prisoners used to escape was definitely an experience.…
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Date of experience: September 2019
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A sobering visit to the Hoa Lo Prison is in order when visiting Hanoi. Although the original buildings have long since been demolished, the museum is a harrowing reminder of the atrocities that have taken place here. I would recommend getting an audio guide when visiting.
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Date of experience: August 2019
1 Helpful vote
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With the history behind it related to the "American War"...it was a site I wanted to visit. People of a certain age (me) know the story of the "Hanoi Hilton" as it pertained to captured US serviceman and their time spent here. I had no idea about the previous history when it was under French rule. Lots of history. Lots of sadness and pain for so many.…
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Date of experience: February 2020
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