So many of the place names in Vietnam are familiar to Americans from the sad realities of the war in Vietnam. A visit like ours helps in re-imagining these places.
On our last day in Hanoi, we visited the site of the Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton" by American soldiers, primarily pilots, captured by the North Vietnamese during 1960s and '70s. Over the entryway are the words "Maison Centrale," or Central House, as the prison was built by French colonists in the 1880s and used to house political prisoners (Vietnamese people fighting for independence) and indeed it was a place of torture and execution. By 1954 -- and Dien Bien Phu and the Geneva Accords -- the prison had become hugely overcrowded. Following the French occupation, the buildings remained as a symbol of exploitation. Abusive conditions for U. S. soldiers in the American war are well-documented and remain difficult to think about. The original buildings were demolished in the 1990s, with the gatehouse and several rooms retained as a museum. The exhibits are vivid and, of course, presented from the perspective of a unified Vietnam, a country that experienced decades of war. I was very glad to have the chance to visit a museum that marks the historic significance of a place, helping me to a deeper understanding of our catch phrase "Hanoi Hilton."
In the American war, U. S. soldiers first came ashore at so-called China Beach in central Vietnam, at Danang, and the phrase "China Beach" has always caught at my heartstrings. Later in the war, it was a location for R and R for soldiers. Now, this area is the location of beautiful resorts, homes, and a growing tourist trade. Vietnamese call the ocean here the "East Sea." In fact, our hotel is right on the ocean, and my day began with a walk near beautiful and very high surf. I am reimagining the phrase "China Beach."
We will visit the cities of Danang, Hue and Saigon. Each of these visits help us reimagine these place names in the light of beautiful, welcoming contemporary Vietnam.
On our last day in Hanoi, we visited the site of the Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton" by American soldiers, primarily pilots, captured by the North Vietnamese during 1960s and '70s. Over the entryway are the words "Maison Centrale," or Central House, as the prison was built by French colonists in the 1880s and used to house political prisoners (Vietnamese people fighting for independence) and indeed it was a place of torture and execution. By 1954 -- and Dien Bien Phu and the Geneva Accords -- the prison had become hugely overcrowded. Following the French occupation, the buildings remained as a symbol of exploitation. Abusive conditions for U. S. soldiers in the American war are well-documented and remain difficult to think about. The original buildings were demolished in the 1990s, with the gatehouse and several rooms retained as a museum. The exhibits are vivid and, of course, presented from the perspective of a unified Vietnam, a country that experienced decades of war. I was very glad to have the chance to visit a museum that marks the historic significance of a place, helping me to a deeper understanding of our catch phrase "Hanoi Hilton."
In the American war, U. S. soldiers first came ashore at so-called China Beach in central Vietnam, at Danang, and the phrase "China Beach" has always caught at my heartstrings. Later in the war, it was a location for R and R for soldiers. Now, this area is the location of beautiful resorts, homes, and a growing tourist trade. Vietnamese call the ocean here the "East Sea." In fact, our hotel is right on the ocean, and my day began with a walk near beautiful and very high surf. I am reimagining the phrase "China Beach."
We will visit the cities of Danang, Hue and Saigon. Each of these visits help us reimagine these place names in the light of beautiful, welcoming contemporary Vietnam.
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