Malati and I landed in Hanoi last month for a week-long stay. While working out our itinerary, I discovered there were over 20 museums in the city, which was the most we had seen in any city in all our travels. Museums provide great insight into history and are a must-visit on any trip, and Hanoi was no exception. After some discussion (and compromise!), I settled on a visit to the Hoa Lo prison, a military museum, and the mausoleum. Malati also added the Vietnamese History Museum and the Women’s Museum while condescendingly skipping the farmer’s market, which is mandatory for us in every city we visit. And so we ended up visiting the mausoleum and four museums, which was quite a handful for our week-long stay.

A short walk from our hotel and we were at the main entrance of Maison Centrale (French for high security prison). Hoa Lo Prison nicknamed Hanoi Hilton, Hell on Earth or Special School is located in the heart of Hanoi city and was once the main prison for incarceration of Vietnamese patriots and revolutionaries during their struggle for independence. Built by the French Occupation Government it functioned as a prison from 1899 till their departure in 1954. From 1964 to 1973 American air force and Navy pilots were housed here till their release after the Paris accord in 1973. Almost twenty years later the prison was demolished to give way to high rise buildings and a portion was converted into a museum to serve as a monument to the patriotic struggle. This quote below taken from the official web site of the Hoa lo Prison Relic sums up the entire theme of the museum.

“Hoa Lo Prison is both a testament to the sacrifice, endurance, and indomitable fighting spirit of Vietnamese revolutionary soldiers against the enemy, and a condemnation of the barbaric prison regime of the French colonial regime during the occupation period in Vietnam”

Torture techniques

 Through simple models and panels  many aspects of the daily life  of the Vietnamese patriots /prisoners such as  their sparse clothing and bedding, utensils, poor quality food and  their  hard life  compounded with  barbaric prison torture   came across vividly. So also the travails of  women and children  as was the overcrowding of the prison  and  sickness resulting in the death of many a  prisoner. A very well crafted Audio guide took us through the various sections of the museum interspersed with experiences of the inmates. Their commentary showcased different emotions depicting hardship, desperation, courage, escape and above all the resilience and strength of the Vietnamese patriots through the difficult time. And how the movement was kept alive even under extremely difficult and trying times. What caught my attention   was the guillotine specially imported from France for the “well being” of the prisoners. I distinctly remember seeing a  severed head(model) in a basket beside  but neither Malati nor the photograph agree with me. Can any reader clarify this ?

The vivid description of the hard prison life touched Malati so much that she summed up the whole experience as very moving, While I agreed with her I was more intrigued by the set of panels towards the end of the museum tour. These panels showcased the life of American Air force and Navy pilots and technicians. Instead of rancour or revenge a very “mellowed down” Vietnamese view is seen in the display( see photo above). It appears that the Americans had a much easier life than the patriots in French captivity. This was completely in contrast to my understanding, perhaps fed by the western media, about the brainwashing techniques and torture by the communists, But what was more intriguing was the fact that nearly 40 odd years after release these ex prisoners (some of them now senators) fondly remembered their times and were even promoting commercial cooperation ! Or were these ex prisoners brainwashed ?? Not withstanding, the Vietnamese need to be complimented for having adopted the approach to let bygones be bygones. Whilst they remember and honor the past they have moved forward and the USA is now their second largest trading partner! Such an attitude perhaps is what is leaping them forward to happier economic outcomes! Is it something that India can learn from or should we be worried of the destruction of temples which supposedly gave way to mosques some hundreds of years ago?

A visit to Hoa Lo prison is a must on every tourist itinerary. The Sound and Light Show on weekend evenings is even more highly recommended. We skipped it and moved on to our next stop – The Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh. Do follow us on our visit.

To be continued ____