September 16, 2024
Nhà tù Hỏa Lò aka the Hanoi Hilton
This morning's main target was Nhà tù Hỏa Lò, the infamous prison built by the French at the end of the nineteenth century. But first we paid a visit to St Joseph's Cathedral which was consecrated in 1886, the same year in which the prison was built.
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The prison lies a few hundred meters south of the cathedral, opposite the magistrates court. The words above the entrance, Maison Centrale, is the French designation for high security prisons. It's quite a sombre place and has witnessed far too many atrocities, first by the French until they were defeated at Bien Dien Phu in 1954 but also by the Vietnamese thereafter. The initial treatment of American combatants was dreadful according to many reports but by the time they were released following the Paris Accord in 1973 it seems to have improved dramatically. Of course the official line here is that it was a bed of roses.
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In the afternoon we jumped on our bicycles and cycled up to Chùa Trấn Quốc, a Buddhist temple on Tây Hồ (West Lake). Its most striking features are a tall pagoda and a Bodhi tree grown from a cutting of the tree under which the Buddha received enlightenment.
On the way back we chanced upon the north gate of of old Ly dynasty citadel, full of flower sellers. Sonehow we missed going to the citadel but there is so much to see in Hà Nội that it was inevitable that we would miss many places of interest.
Tomorrow we head to Tuần Châu to join a one night cruise to Hạ Long Bay. We'll be back in Hà Nội on Thursday.
Today's ride: 7 km (4 miles)
Total: 15 km (9 miles)
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