This is one of the most emotional places I had visited on my trip to vietnam. Entrance to museum is about 50,000vnd (around us$2) but an audio tour will cost an additional 100,000vnd.
I can tell you it’s well worth the money, because the audio guide tells the stories behind all of the exhibits and lets us hear the untold stories the museum is housing.
BuiWhen I visited I felt the despair of the place, with an ever present feeling of sadness. Hoa Lo Prison is best known for it's prison, which it was, for criminals convicted of the worst crimes during the French colonial period, up until the mid 1950's. When I got to the cells, the leg chains and hand cuffs were almost too much to look at, coupled with the huge, heavy wooden doors that once locked up prisoners, the guillotine... But then when the audio tour started and I heard the tales of how prisoners lived, that really gave me an emotional breakdown.
During the French Colonial era, the female prisoners had no where near as much access to clean water, only to use about once a week, and then only using a coconut to cover themselves up and throw water on to themselves.
There’s something really degrading to think about. And on top of that, in terms of hygiene the toilets would flood into the cells. A disgusting state of affairs where the prisoners had no option but to accept their lot.
I stood for a few minutes in the dimly lit rooms of life-size dummies in chains to try and get a picture of what they felt as prisoners of such cruel inhumane facilities. Most of these men and women were separated from their families with absolutely no idea if they would see them again. They were also subjected to physical and mental torturous treatment.
Hoa Lo was a hell hole and these brave souls were left to fight for freedom while imprisoned.
Upon leaving the Hoa Lo Prison Museum, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders but what I brought with me was far more meaningful than photographs, and a greater understanding of what we all should not take for granted - namely our freedom and human rights. It’s painful to be reminded of these terrible events in our past, but vital that we educate future generations so that we can strive towards compassion, justice, and equality for all human beings. Hoa Lo Prison is definitely not just another museum, it’s a testament to the human spirit’s strength in adversity and the ever lasting struggle for our right to live freely.
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