Hoa Lo Prison, Hanoi

Located in the middle of Hanoi city, and opening all days of the year, so you can visit Hoa Lo Prison at anytime.

If you come here on holidays, Tet, or weekends, you wil certainly impressed by the large number of visitors. Moreover, this site also attracts so many students and young people seeking to learn about the painful and heroic period of the Vietnam nation.

Located on Hoa Lo Street, in the center of Hoan Kiem District, near Hoan Kiem Lake and a series of other famous attractions in the capital. Therefore, visitors can easily move to Hoa Lo Prison by various means of transportation, including motorbikes, taxis or buses.

If you have time and you want to see Hanoi sightseeings before stopping at Hoa Lo Prison, a bus must be the ideal choice for traveling around Hanoi. You can choose from the following bus routes below to reach this prominent historical site in the heart of the capital:

Route 32: Giap Bat Station - Nhon

• Bus schedule: 5.00 - 22.00
• Bus fare: 7,000 VND per person
• Timings: from 5 - 20 mins / route

Route 38: Nam Thang Long Station - Mai Dong

• Bus schedule: 05:00 - 22:00
• Bus fare: 7,000 VND per person
• Timings: from 15 - 20 mins / route

Route 41: My Dinh Station - Gia Lam Station

• Bus schedule: 05:00 - 21:00
• Bus fare: 7,000 VND per person
• Timings: from 10 - 20 mins / route

Route 02: Bac Co - Yen Nghia Station

• Bus schedule: 05:00 - 21:00
• Bus fare: 7,000 VND per person
• Timings: from 10 - 20 mins / route

Route 45: Times City - Nam Thang Long Station

• Bus schedule: 05:00 - 21:00
• Bus fare: 7,000 VND per person
• Timings: from 15 - 20 mins / route

Hoa Lo Prison is a historical witness of the barbaric crimes of the colonists with their henchmen; as well as the strong spirit and deep patriotism of late Vietnamese heroes during the resistance war against the French. Therefore, you can explore and learn about the various artifacts and areas to gain a deeper understanding of Vietnam's past.

This is the most brutal torture and execution tool at Hoa Lo Prison, as well as the obsession of many generations of prisoners who were imprisoned and interrogated here. The guillotine has 2 wooden columns 4m high with a sharp blade on top, and below are two semicircular boards to hold the prisoner's head. In front, there is a metal box to store the head and a woven bamboo box to hold the dead body.

During the period from 1986 to 1954, the guillotine had been moved to many other prions in Tonkin to execute political prisoners and patriots. Particularly, in January 1930, the French Colony brought guillotine to Yen Bai to execute 13 soldiers in the Yen Bai uprising, including Nguyen Thai Hoc, a patriot at that time.

The reason why Dungeon is called “Hell of the hell” is that it is the most horrifying and frightening area of Hoa Lo Prison. If imprisoned here, prisoners had to endure not only whipping but also shackling, dark and narrow accommodation and dirty hygiene.

With such a sealed design, prisoners were not exposed to sunlight, resulting in conditions like edema and scabies for those who were detained here. As for female prisoners, they were not be shackled but were tortured to electric shock on intimate areas. For those sentenced to death, they were imprisoned in the deepest area where they had to go through three iron doors.

When walking around the campus of Hoa Lo Prison, visitors can see many big terminalia catappa. They were planted and cared by prisoners of war during their imprison time. The terminalia catappa trunk was a resting place, its seeds and leaves are used as medicine. The dried branches of terminalia catappa are utilized to make pen shafts, and its fig flower are used as nibs.

With ages approaching a hundred years, these terminalia catappa at Hoa Lo Prison that have become the historical witnesses of the fierce, brutal years of war and the pain humiliation of prisoners.

In order to help visitors understand more about the painful years of Vietnam and to express deep gratitude for the sacrifice of our forefathers, Hoa Lo Prison organizes the day trip. When participating in this tour, visitors can rent headsets to listen to comentary, hear quotes from prisoners and view various artifacts.

During the day trip, visitors pass through each area with the sunlight gradually disappearing. Visitors are surely surprised when seeing the prisoners’ stuff like clothes, bowls, cups, etc.

Sacred night tours are organized on weekend evenings. Visitors will experience Hoa Lo Prison through the narratives, images and scenery presented by the tour guides. This can help people empathize with the hardship, pain and struggles that our forefathers had to endure

The highlight of this night tour is that visitors can cast the political prisoners and experience the foods from terminalia catappa leaves like cake, jelly, tea or sweet soup, etc.

Hoa Lo Prison is a historical relic, therefore you should remember the following tips to have a perfect tour.

• Absolutely do not bring with explosive materials
• Luggage must be kept in the prescribed places
• Do not smoke
• Do not move artifacts
• Park vehicles in the prescribed places
• Only incense in the allowed memory site
• Do not throw rubbish
• Do not make noise during on tours
• Do not wear shorts, mini skirts, off-shoulder tops; wear formal attire

Coming to Hoa Lo Prison is a precious experience. Justfly hope you can understand more about this relic with the painful years of Vietnam during the war.