After returning from Sapa on the night train, I was a bit tired so I did a bit of shopping in the morning and then headed to the Hanoi Hilton in the afternoon. This prison was built by the French to incarcerate Vietnamese revolutionaries (many of whom became future communist leaders) and was called the Maison Centrale. This name suggested a nice place, which couldn't be further from the truth. The museum documents how the French drove out a local Vietnamese villagers to situate the prison here and discusses the brutal treatment and torture of the prisoners, including women. There are also two rooms dedicated to American POWs, including a photo of John McCain.
A brutal depiction of prison life
Corridor leading to jail cells
Photo of John McCain
No comments:
Post a Comment