1. Overview of Hoa Lo Prison

As a clear testament to the history of hardship, Hoa Lo prison in Hanoi symbolizes patriotic Vietnamese children's indomitable and resilient spirit. Besides Con Dao prison, Phu Quoc prison, Hoa Lo prison is likened to "hell on earth" during the war and hardship.
After more than 120 years since its construction, this place has become a place of historical significance, educating about revolutionary traditions for today and future generations.
Read more: The story of Hoa Lo Prison”Hell on earth” in the heart of Hanoi, after more than a century, is still the scariest place in Southeast Asia » Breaking News, Latest World News Updates - VietReader Viet Nam 

Where is Hoa Lo Prison?

Hoa Lo Prison, also known as Hoa Lo Prison, was formerly Maison Centrale in French, which means Central Prison. At the same time, its Vietnamese name is Hanoi Prison. The prison is located in an area bordered by four streets: Hoa Lo, Hai Ba Trung, Quan Su, and Tho Nhuom in Hanoi. Today belongs to No. 1, Hoa Lo Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.

Opening time to visit Hoa Lo Prison

Opening time: From 8:00 am - 5:00 pm all days, including holidays and New Year's, so you can choose and arrange a suitable day to come.

Ticket price to visit Hoa Lo prison

Tickets to Hoa Lo prison are 30,000 VND/per person. Some particular subjects will receive free or reduced ticket prices, specifically as follows:
Cases where tickets are free:
+ Children under the age of 15.
+ Subjects with disabilities in a particularly severe category.
+ Be a member of the Veterans Association, Prison Liaison Committee in the country, and resistance liaison committee.
+ Objects with meritorious services to the revolution.
Cases of 50% discount on ticket prices;
+ Students and students (Show student/student cards when buying tickets).
+ Subjects with severe disabilities.
+ People with Vietnamese nationality, age 60.
+ Subjects classified as social policy.
In addition, Hoa Lo also provides voiceover services with headphones for 50,000 VND/headphone.

2. Special things in Hoa Lo prison

Giant guillotine - the terror of every prisoner

Inside Hoa Lo prison, there is a guillotine. This is a murder tool created by French doctor Guilotane, considered a humane means of killing to replace medieval forms of execution such as horse tearing and mutilation ...
When executing a prisoner, the executioner will press the latch and pull the rope so that the knife will shoot down from above. The falling force of the blade is equivalent to 60kg. Next, the prisoner's head will fall into the corrugated iron box below, and the body is put into the rattan basket.

The "gratitude" tree - historical proof

According to some former political prisoners at Hoa Lo prison, the origin of the eagle tree dates back to before 1930, when convicts had to go to court to work as a toilet cleaners. They collected wild alder trees in the groves and planted them in the prison yard. After a while, the eagle tree grew and became attached to many generations of political prisoners here.
Every time they are allowed to go out, political prisoners gather around the eagle tree to enjoy the fresh air and discuss measures against the colonial prison regime.

Cachot (dungeon)

Cachot areas are dungeons with  only 4 square meters of walls painted in murky black. This place has no light or air, making prisoners feel like they are in a highly secret grave.
The prisoner's bed is built with special cement. When lying down, the head slopes down, causing blood to rush to the brain. They used cachet to punish those who organized the struggle, propagated the revolution, or escaped prison. Comrade Truong Chinh was also detained here when he held a meeting in prison to celebrate International Labor Day.

3. Sightseeing tour: Sacred Night - A touching historical reenactment at Hoa Lo prison

The Sacred Night going back in time has always been a challenging journey. The narrow spaces, the rough tar-colored walls or the stuffiness, and fatigue become the spice for a trip to discover the tragic things in the nation's history and pay tribute to the previous generation.
This tour is usually held at 19:00 - 20:30 every Friday and Saturday with a limited number of participants. Therefore, the museum is always sold out within 1-2 months. You need to follow the Hoa Lo Prison website schedule to book tickets in advance.
Read more: Night at Hoa Lo Prison to offer unique experience » Breaking News, Latest World News Updates - VietReader Viet Nam 
The Sacred Night Tour has gone through 3 itineraries with three different themes:
- The Sacred Night Tour 1, with the theme Shining Vietnamese Spirit, took us back to the past to pay tribute to the heroes and martyrs who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland on July 27, 2020. with the first experience of space, the life of prisoners at Hoa Lo prison.
- The Sacred Night Tour 2, with the theme of Living like flowers to honor the beauty of Vietnamese women and heroic Vietnamese mothers during the resistance period, was held on March 8, 2020, with touching scenes about revolutionary Nguyen Phong Sac and his wife Hoang Thi Ai, participating in the 1945 prison break experience and many other unique activities.
- The Sacred Night Tour 3, with the theme of Youth Fire, aims to honor young heroes with true stories from history, once again rekindling the fire in each heart.
Once famous as "hell on earth," Hoa Lo Prison was also the revolutionary school that forged steel spirits. With the flame of youth boiling with enthusiasm, many heroes of eighteen and twenty fought bravely and died heroically right here.
During the journey, like the name "sacred night," all regulations are quite strict regarding the number of participants, costumes, movement of the whole group, or other factors such as not making noise or talking. Story to avoid affecting everyone's experience. The organizers arrange a large team of guides to ensure the experience for all visitors. How it was organized initially made the participants feel professional and well-organized.
The tour took viewers through many emotions: emotional, tearful, shivering, admiring, impressed...
Nhat Quynh - a visitor, left comments on the fan page of Hoa Lo Prison Relic - Hoa Lo Prison Relic that she initially decided to visit Hoa Lo Prison because she wanted to cry to relieve stress. However, when experiencing the sacred night, Nhat Quynh felt relieved, and more than that, it was a remarkable emotional journey, extraordinarily expressive, and fostered more gratitude to his father gratitude to fate. Besides, the quality of service here is also imposing that only some cultural relics of Vietnam can do.
Hoa Lo Prison Relic Management Board has been proving its success in bringing Hoa Lo closer to the public. If you can come to Hanoi, try to experience "a day in prison in Hoa Lo" to learn about Vietnamese culture and history and listen to touching stories of a golden age.