Hoa Lo Prison or Hoa Lo Prison was built by the French colonialists to arrest and torture patriotic soldiers and leaders. After converting the purpose of use, the prison was preserved and restored to become a unique tourist destination of the Capital.
History of Hoa Lo Prison
With the completion of the judicial system, the addition of police personnel, and the construction of a network of prisons, the French colonialists intensified their repressive apparatus to deal with the Vietnamese people’s resistance movements towards the end of the 19th century. On a plot of land in the 1896 cities of Vinh Xuong, Tho Xuong, and Phu Khanh. One of the greatest French colonial jails in Indochina was established by the French in Hanoi, at Hoa Lo.
The soldiers were imprisoned in a difficult situation, but they stayed unwavering and kept up their revolutionary spirit. Many inmates successfully escaped from Hoa Lo jail and rejoined the Vietnamese organizations, continuing to support the cause of national liberation. The prison was converted into a school and a venue for the dissemination of revolutionary doctrine.
Directions to Hoa Lo Prison
Address: No. 1, Kp. Hoa Lo, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi.
Hoa Lo Prison opens from 8:00 – 17:00 every day of the week (including holidays and New Year).
Hoa Lo Prison is located on Hoa Lo Street, in the central area of Hoan Kiem district, and close to many famous tourist attractions. You can visit this place by many types of means, including private and public transport.
If starting from the Hoan Kiem Lake area, you can follow Le Thai To Street towards Hang Trong and go straight through Ba Trieu Street. Next, you turn right to enter Hai Ba Trung Street, go about 500m, and turn left to enter Hoa Lo Street. Hoa Lo Prison will be located at number 1 on this street.
If you want to save on travel costs, the bus is the first choice. You can catch bus numbers 32, 02, 38, and 41, with stops near Hoa Lo prison for convenient transportation.
Day tour of Hoa Lo Prison
Hoa Lo Prison day tours only cost 30,000 VND per person. Visitors can borrow a walkie-talkie with headphones after purchasing tickets and listen to explanations and statements from those who have spent time in this prison. Each gallery also has signs, and each exhibit offers visitors thorough information.
Starting the tour, visitors will be able to visit each area of the prison from the moment there is a flicker of light until it is completely immersed in darkness. The prisoners’ artifacts on display such as utensils and clothes, when combined with the narration, will definitely make visitors feel “scared” by the brutality of the French colonialists.
Night tour of Hoa Lo prison
To help tourists better understand the pain of the wars in Vietnam, Hoa Lo Prison Relics organized a night tour with the theme “Sacred Night”.
Hoa Lo jail transports visitors back in time to the heroic struggle of the soldiers by blending sound, light, and the acting abilities of the actors. valiantly gave their lives to establish democracy and peace in the nation.
The Hoa Lo prison relic team also makes souvenirs like tea, delicious soup, cakes, and almond jelly, manufactured from the last remaining almond tree in the cave, to present to tourists during the tour, in addition to offering a wonderful visual and acoustic experience.
The ticket price for the Hoa Lo Prison night tour is 300,000 VND/person. The organizers will record images so the whole group can review them whenever they want.
