The 10 Best Historical Sites to Visit in Vietnam

Con Dao Prison Complex

For 42 years since the prisons of Con Dao were shut down, horrific memories still cast a forbidding shadow over this quiet town. Known as “the true hell on earth,” this used to be home to tens of thousands of Vietnamese prisoners who suffered and died at the hands of French colonials at first and later the US-backed South Vietnamese government between 1863 and 1975. Fettered and contorted mannequins bring the bone-chilling experience to reality.

Con Dao Prison, Cỏ Ống Street, Côn Đảo, Vietnam

Con Dao Prison | © Paul Arps/Flickr | © Paul Arps/Flickr

Hoa Lo Prison

While historical museums in Hanoi are mostly rather propagandist and perhaps superficial, Hoa Lo Prison can be a good fit to catch up on the city’s back story. Despite many modern restorations, it offers a real sense of the past. Head to the gloomy rooms to see erstwhile prison cells which witnessed the incarceration of the US pilots, including Senator John McCain and more importantly, the ghastliness and barbarity that many Vietnamese nationalist leaders and revolutionaries suffered during the French colony.

Hoa Lo Prison, 1 Hoả Lò, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam, +84 4 3934 2253

Hoa Lo Prison | © David McKelvey/Flickr

Khai Dinh Tomb

Among plenty of royal tombs in Hu, the Vietnam’s former capital, Khai Dinh’s tomb sets itself apart from other Nguyen Dynasty tombs with an appealing fusion of Asian and European touches. Constructed over 11 years, the tomb is more like a monument of his excessive wealth which stayed true to his reputation as a puppet of the French colonial government.

Khai Dinh Tomb, Khải Định, Thủy Bằng, Huế, Vietnam

Khai Dinh Royal Tomb | © Chris Hoare/Flickr

It would be a crime to travel to Vietnam without visiting the War Remnants Museum which was formerly known as the Chinese and American War Crimes. Despite being heavily packed with one-sided information, it still reflects important stories about the gruesome effects of war on the country, some of which came from US sources.

Cannon Fort

Cannon Fort was first installed by the Japanese in Cat Ba, its military outpost during the World War II, and later used by the French during the Indochina War and finally the Communist force during the Vietnam War to defend the city of Haiphong. The underground tunnels and trenches are well worth a visit not only because of its crucial role in the country’s war victory but also because of its amazing panoramic views overlooking the Cat Ba Island’s hill and sea landscape.

Cannon Fort, Cát Bà, Cát Hải, Haiphong, Vietnam

Cannon Fort at Cat Ba Island | © Flickr/EladeManu