Con Dao

Con Dao Dark Tourism

Con Dao’s history as a penal colony spans over a century, from French colonial rule through the Vietnam War. This collection documents the 'Hell on Earth' prison system, featuring the infamous French and American Tiger Cages, the Phu Hai complex, and the repurposed Cow Stables. It includes Hang Duong Cemetery, the final resting place of thousands of political prisoners and national heroine Vo Thi Sau, alongside several monuments dedicated to the victims of the archipelago's incarceration camps.

Museum

Built in 1971, this facility is known for the 'American Tiger Cages.' It consists of 384 cells divided into eight zones, designed for the isolation and psychological pressure of political prisoners.

Con Dao prison

The largest and oldest prison in the complex, established by French colonists in 1862. It contains 10 communal cells, a solitary confinement area, and a chapel.

Cow stables

Originally a livestock facility built in 1876, these stables were converted into a prison by the French in 1930. It includes 20 cells and a large pool formerly used for torture.

Tigerkäfige

Infamous French-built confinement cells featuring iron bars on the ceiling. Guards monitored and punished prisoners from walkways above using sticks and lime powder.

Prison Escape

A memorial site commemorating the resistance and various escape attempts made by prisoners held within the Con Dao archipelago.

Vo Thi Sau Grave

The grave of a 19-year-old Vietnamese revolutionary executed by the French in 1952. Located within Hang Duong Cemetery, it is a significant site of pilgrimage.

Hang Duong

The island's largest cemetery, containing approximately 20,000 graves of revolutionaries and political prisoners. The grounds are divided into four sections based on different historical periods.

War Victims Graveyard

A dedicated burial ground and memorial area for the martyrs and victims who perished under the prison system's brutal conditions.

Tượng Đài Liệt Sỹ

A central monument dedicated to the thousands of soldiers and patriots who died in captivity on Con Dao during the colonial and wartime eras.