Pictures from the Hanoi Hilton and the Temple of Literature

While we were in Hanoi, we had time to visit several places that held ancient cultural interest. One such is the Temple of Literature, which is a university-like-school founded nearly 1,000 years ago by the emperor at the time. It is no longer a school, but a very interesting cultural museum.

Another less ancient place is the "Hanoi Hilton" which is a prison built by the French to hold criminals and revolutionaries. The Japanese also used it during WWII to hold prisoners of war. It was used lastly by the Vietnamese to hold American pilots and soldiers who were caught during the Vietnam War. Here's how the different plaques read: "The cruel and repressive French built the prison to hold the loyal, patriotic revolutionaries" ... "the vicious Japanese executed those valiant prisoners who tried to poison their captors" ... and "The Vietnamese treated each and every American prisoner with the highest standard" (while they were in the prison); in fact, the sign said, most Americans came to realize how great the Vietnamese government was and how oppressive their own acted toward the Vietnamese. They even have John McCain's flight suit in a glass case and pictures of his visit to Vietnam.

The entrance to the Temple of Literature:

From Temple of Literature

Shrines for incense to some ancient scholars:

From Temple of Literature

Van was our guide around the city that day... she was a great help in understanding a lot of things! Thanks Van! AND, I was carrying Heather's purse/bag - THAT BAG IS NOT MINE (major disclaimer)!!!

From Temple of Literature

... and Heather and I were the curious learners following Van (ONCE AGAIN, NOT MY BAG... major disclaimer... I was helping Heather out):

From Temple of Literature

These were really cool stone turtle statutes that held the names of accomplished scholars. There were rows and rows of them:

From Temple of Literature

up close:

From Temple of Literature

And Heather modeling the entrance to one courtyard in the temple:

From Temple of Literature

Entrance to the Hanoi prison:

From Hanoi Hilton

Layout of the original prison (from a photograph). Only a portion of the original has been preserved, a massive hotel has been built in the remaining area of that city block:

From Hanoi Hilton

This is the original gate to the prison:

From Hanoi Hilton

The oppressive French:

From Hanoi Hilton

And the patriotic revolutionaries in their chains:

From Hanoi Hilton

... very stoic:

From Hanoi Hilton

Again, the oppressive French and the solitary confinement rooms:

From Hanoi Hilton

Several prisoners escaped through this sewer... they say over a hundred escaped:

From Hanoi Hilton

The plague introducing the guillotine:

From Hanoi Hilton

... and the cruel machine of repression:

From Hanoi Hilton

A courtyard memorializing the atrocities committed against the Vietnamese:

From Hanoi Hilton

... and the massive hotel now behind the prison:

From Hanoi Hilton

...more of the courtyard:

From Hanoi Hilton

From Hanoi Hilton