A photograph exhibition featuring generations of Hoa Lo revolutionary prisoners was launched in Hanoi on September 30th to mark the 60th anniversary of the capital’s Liberation Day (October 10th).

More than 150 photographs, documents and exhibits are on display, depicting the role of revolutionary soldiers and Hanoians in the liberation of the capital.

Hoa Lo Prison historical site (Photo for illustration)

The exhibition attracted the attention of numerous former Hoa Lo prisoners and local history students, as well as the public.

The display comprises three parts, with the first part introducing Hoa Lo prison in Hanoi, one of the largest and top security prisons in Indochina.

The second part focuses on the captive revolutionary soldiers’ efforts to rebel against oppression and organise uprisings, despite the physical and mental hardships they faced during their imprisonment at Hoa Lo prison.

The third highlights the contributions of freed Hoa Lo prisoners to the development of Hanoi and Vietnam.

Addressing the event, Vice Director of Hanoi’s Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism, Truong Minh Tien, said Hanoi had undergone numerous changes in the last 60 years, but memories of the struggle for liberation remained fresh in the minds of the ex-prisoners and Hanoi residents.

Hoa Lo prison was constructed by the French colonialists in Hanoi in 1896 to incarcerate opponents to French rule in Indochina. Many inmates lost their lives to illness and maltreatment.

The relic site welcomes more than 100,000 visitors each year, with 70 percent coming from outside of Vietnam.

Source: VNA