Ha Noi Hilton

Everyone seems interested in Hoa Lo prison, better known to Americans as the "Ha Noi Hilton," so let's get right to it. Built in 1896 by the French, Hoa Lo prison was one of the largest in Indochina. In October 1954, after the French left, Hoa Lo prison was used by the Vietnamese to detain ordinary lawbreakers. From August 5, 1964 to March 29, 1973, Hoa Lo prison was home to American pilots shot down or arrested during the bombing of North Vietnam. In 1993, much of the prison was torn down and replaced by modern office buildings, but this fragment is kept as it was for tourists and locals.