Hoa Lo Prison

Hoa Lo Prison Review

Originally built by French colonizers to house Vietnamese political prisoners, Hoa Lo prison is famous for its later history in which it was nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton" by American prisoners of war who were held captive here under less-than-five-star conditions. More than half of the prison was demolished in the 1990s, with the remaining gatehouse converted into a museum highlighting the cruelty of the occupying French but whitewashing prisoner treatment during the American War, as the Vietnam War is known locally.