The Northern Vietnamese and American Blood-Stained History – Hanoi Hilton, the Hoa Lo Prison Museum

By Chi Bing-Hui / Compiled and Reported

In Taiwan, when it comes to prisons that can be visited, Green Island Prison comes to mind, but for Northern Vietnamese, the “Hanoi Hilton” is a historic building that carries a blood-stained past. It once held political prisoners during the French occupation, as well as American POWs captured during the Vietnam War, such as 2008 U.S. presidential candidate John McCain, among others. Various forms of torture and interrogation can be readily imagined. Although the prison is now open to visitors, most exhibits focus on the cruel treatment of political prisoners and the comparatively better treatment of Americans—creating a stark contrast largely driven by political factors. The true picture may therefore be difficult to fully grasp in a short visit.

 

Hanoi Hilton (Hoa Lo Prison) was a prison built by the French in 1896, originally called Maison Centrale—the two large words above the entrance. However, locals called it Hoa Lo, meaning “fiery furnace,” as the area was once a village of pottery kilns. Hence, Hanoi Hilton is also known as the Hoa Lo Prison.

 

 

This was the largest prison built by the French in Northern Vietnam. Major anti-French colonial political prisoners were held here. However, the dissidents imprisoned here were also able to communicate with each other, which strengthened their belief in nationalism. Some even tirelessly dug tunnels to escape and rejoin the anti-French resistance, eventually becoming key figures in the country’s eventual independence.

 

After the establishment of North Vietnam in 1954, the Hoa Lo Prison became a national prison for housing serious criminals. When the Vietnam War escalated in 1973, some American bombers were shot down, and the captured American pilots were detained here. The most notable included the first U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, Douglas Peterson, and 2008 presidential candidate and “Vietnam War hero” John McCain. The Viet Cong also subjected war prisoners to various inhumane tortures, giving the prison a terrifying reputation that led American soldiers to call it the “Hanoi Hilton.” This history was later depicted in the 1987 film “Hanoi Hilton,” which tells the story of the captured American soldiers.