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PLACES OF INTEREST

 

 

 

  Old French Prison & Museum

 

Vietnam

The remnants of the former French prison in Son La, in northwestern Vietnam. It was established in 1908 and built at the summit of Khau Ca Hill overlooking the town.

 

Today, some of the original construction lays in ruins as a result of the wars fought in this area, including the one of 1954 in which the Vietnamese defeated the French and which led to the end of French presence in Vietnam.

 

  Old French Prison & Museum

 

  Old French Prison & Museum

 

The infamous prison was used by the French colonialists to imprison Vietnamese revolutionists who resisted the colonizers. Here, political prisoners were jailed and some reportedly also tortured.

 

The atmosphere in this place was damp and stifling, with a bad stench and insects everywhere. There were also torture rooms and the museum today displays some of the tools that were used to this purpose.

 

  Old French Prison & Museum

 

  Old French Prison & Museum

 

Besides the normal cells, the prison also had an underground jail, which deprived the prisoners there even from the most basic of human necessities, such as daylight.

 

The famous Vietnamese revolutionary and resistance hero To Hieu (fig.) died here from tuberculosis during his imprisonment.

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  Old French Prison & Museum