For more than a century of colonial domination, French colonialists and later American imperialists turned Côn Đảo (Côn Đảo District, Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province) into a true “hell on earth” – a place of imprisonment and brutal torture for countless steadfast revolutionary soldiers. Yet it was also here, in the darkest of conditions, that the indomitable spirit and unyielding will of Vietnamese communists shone brightest. Côn Đảo became a sacred land, a symbol of Vietnamese revolutionary heroism throughout both the resistance war against French colonialism and the struggle against American imperialism.
Since national reunification, Côn Đảo has transformed from a place of suffering into a destination of remembrance, attracting large numbers of domestic and international visitors seeking to understand history and pay tribute to those who sacrificed for the nation.
On May 10, 2012, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 548/QĐ-TTg designating the Côn Đảo Prison Historical Site as a Special National Relic (Phase 2). The complex includes 20 individual relics with a total protected area of more than 110 hectares, including over 41 hectares in Zone I. It stands today as one of Vietnam’s largest, oldest, and most significant revolutionary historical sites.
Côn Đảo has thus become a quintessential “red address” – a place of profound historical and educational value, helping nurture patriotism, gratitude, and national pride among present and future generations.
LÊ AN KHÁNH
(Thụy Khuê Ward, Tây Hồ District, Hanoi)
