Vietnam War History, as Told by the Winners

Hoa Lo Prison, more popularly known as the “Hanoi Hilton”, is a museum located near the French Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam. Initially built in the late 1890s by Vietnam’s French colonizers, it served as a central prison (Maison Centrale) for Vietnamese criminals.

As control of North Vietnam transitioned from the French to the Japanese and then to the Vietnamese Communists, the composition of prisoners also evolved – Vietnamese Communists, originally imprisoned by the fearful French authorities, were eventually replaced by American prisoners of war (POWs) taken during the Vietnam War.

However, for those anticipating a faithful depiction of American POW life within the Hanoi Hilton, disappointment awaits. The exhibit reflects the perspective of the victors, emphasizing the heroic narrative of Vietnamese Communists who faced imprisonment, torture, and execution at the hands of French and Japanese occupiers.

Getting to the Hanoi Hilton

Hoa Lo Prison is most conveniently accessed via taxi; 1 Pho Hoa Lo stands at the corner of Pho Ha Ba Trung, located south of Hoan Kiem Lake on the outskirts of the French Quarter (Google Maps). The prison spans the length of Pho Hoa Lo, from Pho Hai Ba Trung to Pho Tho Nhuom, with only its southern end remaining as the rest was integrated into the Hanoi Towers complex during the 1990s.

Upon arrival, visitors must pay an entrance fee of VND 30,000 (approximately US$1.30) at the gate. A color brochure will be provided upon payment, allowing photography throughout the site.

Relics from Phu Kanh Village, Hoa Lo Prison

After entering and paying the fee, proceed to a long building on your immediate right. The first room showcases displays about the Phu Kanh village that once occupied the Hoa Lo Prison site.

This village primarily engaged in the production and sale of ceramic houseware, which contributed to the street’s name—”Hoa Lo” translates directly to “stove” or “fiery furnace,” commonly seen in the village as they created household pottery day and night.

The initial room features old pottery and kilns typical of the region, which remained before the French destruction to establish Hoa Lo Prison that displaced about four dozen families.

The second room contains a diorama representing Hoa Lo Prison in its historical context, accompanied by a large iron gate symbolizing the entrance visitors would use to access the prison.

Stockade and Shackled Prisoners

The “E” stockade features life-size models of Vietnamese prisoners shackled in two rows, illustrating the appalling treatment endured by political prisoners in Hoa Lo.

Conditions were dire, with inmates subjected to spoiled food twice a day and only fifteen minutes to relieve themselves from chains daily. Academic Peter Zinoman, in his book The Colonial Bastille: A History of Imprisonment in Vietnam, 1862-1940, offers a grim description of the state-of-the-art French prison standards:

Most inmates lived together in the communal dormitory, typically the largest edifice in the prison compound. There, all the prisoners lay side by side, on elevated concrete platforms that ran along the walls. Embedded at the foot of these platforms were rows of iron rings, through which a metal bar, known as the barre de justice, was threaded. To prevent them from moving around freely in the open chamber, prisoners slept with their ankles shackled to the barre.

Despite such confinement, prisoners managed to maintain camaraderie. One former inmate reflected on memories shared, understanding the value of connection amidst suffering.

On the side, visitors can see a cachot, or dungeon, where dangerous or mentally unstable prisoners were held in isolation, shackled to the concrete floor under tight surveillance.

Corridor and Memorials to Those who Escaped

Exiting the solitary space leads to a long outdoor corridor adorned with various memorials, including a sewer escape route used by five Vietnamese death-row inmates on Christmas Eve in 1951. Despite its notorious reputation, Hoa Lo was not impenetrable; several jailbreaks occurred throughout its operational history.

Remarkably, during the chaotic transition between French and Japanese authority after World War II, some prisoners found freedom by simply changing out of their prison garb.

A Death Row You can Walk Out of

Traversing the corridor, visitors will encounter the female prisoners’ quarters before entering a gallery showcasing the barbaric practices enforced by French colonizers. Female inmates suffered equally harsh treatment; Zinoman quotes a report detailing the deplorable conditions for women in the prison:

The female quarter exhibits from a hygienic and moral point of view and from the standpoint of simple humanity a truly revolting picture. In an area built for 100 prisoners maximum, 225 of these miserable creatures are locked up. Neither classed nor categorized, they form an indescribable mob; political prisoners, common-law prisoners, juvenile delinquents, and twelve mothers, together with their infants.

Adjacent to the women’s section lies the death row dungeon, which displays the grim ramifications of colonial rule. A guillotine against one wall serves as a chilling reminder of the executions carried out within; historical photographs further underscore this dark history.

Memorial Garden

The next destination is the largest outdoor area in Hoa Lo Prison: a memorial dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the Vietnamese revolutionary movement. For Americans, this monument might evoke contradictions, as the “Hanoi Hilton” is often remembered for its oppressive undertones.

However, Hoa Lo stands as a significant locus in Vietnamese history; under French occupation, it became a breeding ground for revolutionary ideas, and those who perished within its confines are considered martyrs in Vietnam today.

The American POW narrative, featured in the subsequent exhibit, is merely a footnote in the vast history of Hoa Lo Prison and Vietnam itself.

The Pilot Exhibit

The American POW experience during the Vietnam War is encapsulated in the “blue room,” or pilot exhibit. This area provides a heavily curated perspective of POW existence in Hoa Lo.

One section outlines the destruction inflicted upon Vietnam by American aerial assaults, positioning the imprisonment of American pilots, who were shot down over North Vietnam, as a justified response to those actions. Arizona Senator John McCain is notably featured through his captured flight suit and personal belongings displayed throughout the exhibit.

The second gallery attempts to illustrate typical POW life, portraying American soldiers in a favorable light, possibly misleading many regarding the authenticity of prison conditions. The ambiance emanates from a church-like setting filled with imagery of faith and community, suggesting a sense of religious freedom that contrasts sharply with the actual testimonies of former POWs like McCain and Robinson Risner.

Memorial to Patriots and Revolutionary Fighters

The final destination in the Hoa Lo tour is a memorial located on the second floor, which pays tribute to the survivors of Hoa Lo Prison. This area displays the names of distinguished prisoners engraved on brass plaques, alongside their personal artifacts, which feature a large makeshift Vietnamese flag and memorializes the founding of the Communist Party cell within the prison.

In essence, while serving punitive functions, Hoa Lo also birthed revolutionary thought among its prisoners—advocating for camaraderie and collective struggle. Zinoman quotes Truc, a Communist organizer and former Hoa Lo inmate, reflecting on their profound experiences:

When I was in Laos, I agitated secretly but I had no idea what communism was. Only after I was imprisoned in Hoa Lo and had the opportunity to read books and study did I understand the correct way of communist struggle. When I think back to the months in Hoa Lo, the time seems so precious. It is only thanks to my months in Hoa Lo that I know something of revolutionary theory.