Hoa Lo Prison, once a prison for revolutionary fighters, now deeply inspires the value of freedom and peace .
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| Panoramic view of Hoa Lo Prison from above. (Source: Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism) |
Through many historical events, Hoa Lo Prison, which once held Vietnamese revolutionary soldiers during the struggle for independence, has not only been a witness to tragic stories but also a historical symbol of patriotism and the nation's indomitable will. Today, this historical site not only recounts heroic history but also deeply inspires the value of freedom and peace.
The French colonialists invaded our country and imposed their rule on the land they occupied. Their henchmen colluded to serve the enemy and together oppressed the people who refused to be oppressed, exploited, or enslaved... Along with the extremely brutal apparatus of terror and repression, the French colonialists built many prisons to detain, torture, and exploit patriotic people who opposed them. Therefore, they spent a lot of effort to build the most solid prison of the time, Hoa Lo Prison.
Tragic stories
In 1896, the French colonialists built a prison in the heart of Hanoi with main materials imported from France such as cement, steel... It was completed in 1901 and they named it "Central Prison" (Maison Centrale).
This place imprisoned and tortured patriots of the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc movement in 1907 such as Luong Van Can, Nguyen Quyen, Duong Ba Trac. In 1908, this was the place where members of Dong Du and Duy Tan led by Phan Boi Chau were imprisoned, including soldiers who heroically assassinated Governor Nguyen Duy Han, planted explosives to kill French officers at Hanoi Hotel - No. 2 Nguyen Khac Can Street, and seven leaders of the assassination of French invaders in Hanoi Citadel in coordination with De Tham's army. The French colonialists beheaded them right in front of Hoa Lo gate to intimidate the patriotic masses. In 1925, they arrested Phan Boi Chau from China and brought him here to be imprisoned. In 1930, the Yen Bai uprising failed, the French side arrested leaders of the Nationalist Party such as Nguyen Thai Hoc, Pho Duc Chinh, Nguyen Khac Nhu, imprisoned them, brutally tortured them here, and then brought them to Yen Bai to be beheaded.
The birth of the Indochinese Communist Party (now the Communist Party of Vietnam) was when the French colonialists and their lackeys were fiercely suppressing members of the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association, communist party members, and other patriots, especially in the period after the Nghe Tinh Soviet uprising...
Hoa Lo Prison was a place to imprison and torture revolutionaries and patriots. Here, when the enemy wanted to drown the revolution in blood, they used the most brutal tricks to intimidate the movement. However, the more brutally they terrorized, the more enthusiastically the revolutionary prisoners fought. The imprisoned communist party members established Party cells in prison, promptly led the struggle, maintained their integrity, were absolutely loyal, and organized protests against the fierce repression that made the enemy respect them...
The comrades detained by the enemy here were mostly key leaders of our Party such as Nguyen Phong Sac, Ngo Gia Tu, Nguyen Duc Canh, To Hieu, Tong Van Tran, Trinh Dinh Cuu, Le Duan, Truong Chinh (Dang Xuan Khu), Hoang Quoc Viet, Nguyen Luong Bang... The French madly beheaded comrade Nguyen Hoang Ton, a young party member of only 17 years old, right here. Comrade Hoang Van Thu - Standing Committee member of the Central Committee of the Indochinese Communist Party was detained here, before the French took him to be shot at the Hoang Mai shooting range.
After the National Resistance Day on December 19, 1946, the enemy was held back in Hanoi by the Capital Regiment for 60 days and nights. When our army retreated to preserve its forces, the French occupied Hanoi, continuing to use this place to imprison and torture thousands of cadres, soldiers and patriotic people...
Indomitable revolutionary spirit
The enemy used all the most brutal and despicable tricks to suppress patriots and communists. They thought that only by using guillotines, guns, whips, pliers, shackles and torturing prisoners to death, slowly and slowly in dark prisons... could they crush their ideals of struggle, their steadfast and indomitable patriotism. All the evil and sinister tricks could not subdue the revolutionary prisoners, they became more indomitable, brave and fought heroically, absolutely loyal to the Fatherland and the glorious Party.
Communist prisoners turned “hell on earth” into a training ground and a revolutionary school that trained many comrades to become adults, leading the revolutionary movement in our country. Newspapers such as: Prison Journal, Prison Life (1930-1945), Prison Voice (1947-1954) were born in the dark prisons... Articles to enlighten the masses, call for patriotism, solidarity to fight against the harsh regime of the enemy in prisons, expose their cruel and vicious tricks...
The revolutionary anniversaries are occasions to express patriotism, steadfastness, indomitability, and wholehearted devotion to the revolution and the Fatherland... They sing revolutionary songs such as: Together we march, The Internationale, Marching Song... They shout slogans to encourage patriotism, revolutionary will, and belief in the ultimate victory of the revolutionary cause.
Those activities and sounds went beyond the high and solid fences to the streets for the people of Hanoi to hear and to increase their faith in the revolution.
About 200 comrades heroically sacrificed their lives in the fierce struggle between unarmed prisoners, tormented in dark dungeons, and the brutal, oppressive, and ruthlessly killing enemy, who beheaded, shot, beat, tortured, starved, and fed rotten rice and rotten fish...
Not afraid of sacrifice, the comrades were resourceful and brave in organizing successful prison breaks. Hundreds of comrades escaped from prison and returned to continue their revolutionary activities, such as Nguyen Luong Bang, Nguyen Tao, Tran Dang Ninh, Tran Tu Binh, Do Muoi...
Hoa Lo Prison, from a place to detain revolutionary prisoners, became a place to train patriotism, the will to fight steadfastly against the enemy, and absolute loyalty to the Fatherland and the Communist Party of Vietnam. They grew up from those heroic and indomitable sacrifices. Many comrades became key cadres of the Party, leading the country to repel foreign invaders, gain national independence, and unify the country, such as the Party General Secretaries: Nguyen Van Cu, Truong Chinh, Le Duan, Nguyen Van Linh and Do Muoi. Many comrades were members of the Politburo and the Central Executive Committee of our Party.
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| Today, Hoa Lo Prison is a historical relic, a place to educate patriotism and revolutionary traditions, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists to visit. (Photo: Dieu Linh) |
From “hell on earth” to historical relic
After the French withdrew from the North, Hoa Lo prison was used as a place to detain anti-state, revolutionaries, and criminals...
When the US Empire invaded our country and expanded the war to attack the North, American pilots became “uninvited guests” at the Hilton Hanoi “hotel”. Hoa Lo Prison welcomed hundreds of “guests” here. With the humane policy of the State, many American prisoners of war understood and regretted the crimes they committed against a heroic nation that loved peace and freedom more than anyone else. They became our supporters to soon unify the country and build a peaceful and prosperous Vietnam...
Now, to build and develop the country, Hoa Lo prison has become a revolutionary relic, a place to preserve artifacts and images that partly speak of the crimes of French colonialism, praising the resilient, intelligent and brave fighting spirit of patriots and elite communist party members...
On January 30, 2011, the State issued Decision No. 161/QD-CTN conferring the noble title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces to a group of revolutionary soldiers captured by the enemy and imprisoned in Hoa Lo prison (period 1930-1954).
This is a red address of the capital Hanoi, which will contribute to educating the revolutionary patriotic tradition for today and tomorrow.
(*) Standing member of the Veterans Liaison Committee of the Joint Military Committee of Camp Davis.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nha-tu-hoa-lo-mot-dia-chi-do-cua-thu-do-ha-noi-298065.html
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