Hàng Dương Cemetery is an inseparable part of the Special National Relic Site – Côn Đảo Prison. It is also one of the most sacred “red addresses” on the island, where countless visitors come to pay tribute to the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Vietnam’s independence and liberation.
According to site interpreters, an estimated 20,000 prisoners died on Côn Đảo. The first burial ground was located near Chuồng Bò (Cow Shed), also known as the “Skull Beach” site. Later, burials were moved to Hàng Keo Cemetery. After 1934—especially during the brutal repression following the 1940 Southern Uprising—thousands of prisoners in Côn Đảo’s prison system were executed.
When Hàng Keo Cemetery became full, the French opened a new burial ground: Hàng Dương Cemetery, now the largest and most important memorial site on the island. By the time Côn Đảo was completely liberated in 1975, approximately 6,000 prisoners were buried here.
A Carefully Preserved Memorial Ground
Since 1992, the cemetery has been restored and expanded to 20 hectares, while preserving the original graves. It is divided into four zones — A, B, C, and D (Zone B is subdivided into B1 and B2) — with 1,922 graves, including 714 identified graves.
- Zone A holds graves dating from before 1945, including the resting place of General Secretary Lê Hồng Phong and patriot Nguyễn An Ninh.
- Zone B contains remains of anti-French (1945–1954) and anti-American revolutionaries, notably the grave of national heroine Võ Thị Sáu.
- Zone C consists mostly of graves from 1960–1975.
- Zone D gathers graves relocated from Hàng Cau, Hàng Keo, and other areas.
Today, Hàng Dương Cemetery has been restored with a spacious ceremonial courtyard and a central monument standing 21.6 meters tall. Its stylized form symbolizes grave mounds and memorial steles, constructed from 144 stone slabs carved with motifs representing the Vietnamese spirit. Beneath the monument lies a 30-meter relief wall, depicting 113 years (1862–1975) of the brutal conditions inside Côn Đảo Prison.
A Garden of Stone and Symbols of Resilience
From the entrance, visitors walk through a symbolic Stone Garden, designed to resemble the collapse of prison walls. Within the garden stand several meaningful sculptures:
- “Fidelity” (formerly “Sharing the Shirt”) – a 4.5-meter statue representing the loyalty and solidarity of imprisoned revolutionaries who would give even their last garment to a comrade.
- “Hope” – a 4.5-meter sculpture expressing optimism and unwavering belief in the just struggle of the Vietnamese people.
- Central Relief “Unyielding” – 3.5 meters tall and 12.5 meters long, with two contrasting sides:
- One side exposes the harsh and inhumane reality of colonial imprisonment.
- The other depicts the indomitable courage of communist revolutionaries who endured suffering at this “hell on earth.”
A Place of Deep Emotion and National Reverence
Joining the crowds visiting Hàng Dương Cemetery during July—the month of remembrance in Vietnam—one cannot help but feel overwhelmed. Each grave is not only a tragic story and a testament to colonial and imperial crimes, but also an echo of the heroic resistance that radiates the humanism and revolutionary spirit of Vietnam.
After listening to the guided narration, we took part in the offering ritual at the main memorial, then lit incense at the individual graves. Speaking with other visitors, we learned that to many people, Hàng Dương Cemetery embodies the spirit of Vietnamese patriotism.
For countless pilgrims, offering incense here is a profound expression of gratitude to the steadfast revolutionaries who gave their lives for the independence and freedom the nation enjoys today.
