Hoa Lo Prison, Hanoi · The Names Left Behind

Hoa Lo Prison in the centre of Hanoi was built by the French colonial authorities in 1896. It held political prisoners, and later American pilots taken during the Vietnam War.

It is a museum now. The display cases keep prison clothing and shackles, and some of the words cut into the walls cannot be read as any known script.

Staff say that after closing time metal can be heard dragging along the floor in certain cells. No one is willing to walk that row alone in the evening.

Historical Mysteries / Hanoi · Vietnam / 1896