Hoi An Prison - "Red address" in heart of ancient town
Translated by MAI DUNG•Aug 01, 2025 11:28
DNO - Located in the middle of Hoi An Ancient Town, the Hoi An Prison preserves memories of revolutionary struggles and is a meaningful destination for both local residents and tourists.
The Hoi An Prison relic is located in Hoi An Ancient Town. Photo: XUAN SON
Nestled at 240/12 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hoi An Ward, Da Nang, the Hoi An Prison is under the management of the Hoi An Center for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation.
It was built in 1960 by the US imperialists and the US-Diem puppet government under the name "Xom Moi Prison" or "Quang Nam Rehabilitation Center".
In the past, the Hoi An Prison was considered an extremely barbaric and savage "hell on earth".
Today, it has become a "red address" in the heart of Hoi An Ancient Town, regularly open for people, tourists, and organizations.
The Hoi An Prison was recognized as a provincial-level revolutionary historical relic by the former Quang Nam People's Committee under Decision No. 559/QD-UBND dated February 8, 2007.
In 2012, the province started the project to restore and embellish the Hoi An Prison with a total investment of more than VND 19 billion. The project aimed to promote the prison's historical value.
Since 2012, such items as the entrance gate, office building, male prison block, medical building, and fence have been embellished. Photo: XUAN SONSome damaged items with only foundations remained include the eastern and northern female prison blocks, the flagpole, and the watchtower have been restored and kept in their original condition. Photo: XUAN SONFrom 1960 to 1975, this site was used to imprison and torture thousands of revolutionaries, soldiers, and civilians from Quang Nam and several other provinces who were captured by the enemy during their involvement in the revolutionary movement. Photo: XUAN SONThe total prison cells had a maximum capacity of around 500 inmates, but in reality, more than 1,000 people were held here of various backgrounds and ages, including the elderly and even children. Photo: XUAN SONInaugurated in late 2023, the exhibition space features more than 150 photos, documents, and artifacts illustrating the history of the Hoi An prisons across different periods. Photo: XUAN SONThe years of steadfast struggle of people and soldiers at Hoi An Prison are "told" truthfully in the sightseeing space. Photo: XUAN SONIn recent years, the managing unit has made continuous efforts to conduct research, collect relevant studies and documents, and build a comprehensive database to support the preservation and promotion of the Hoi An Prison site. Photo: XUAN SONVisitors can explore the site along a designated route that includes the main hall, the flagpole location, the male prison block, the solitary confinement area, the Northeast bunker, the female prison block, and the vocational training area. Photo: XUAN SONInformation about the Hoi An Prison site has been digitized by local youth to promote and introduce the site on digital platforms. Photo: XUAN SON
Patriotic prisoner associations and many living witnesses in former Quang Nam and Da Nang have contributed 62 artifacts, 3,390 prisoner profiles, and dozens of poems and songs composed at the Hoi An Prison, along with many other valuable information and documents, to the exhibition space at the site.
