A visit to Hoa Lo Prison Museum is a sobering lesson about the dark side of Vietnamese history. Ironically dubbed the “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam war by American Prisoners of War (POWs), Hoa Lo Prison is anything but a luxurious getaway.

Its painful past spans more than a hundred years. Since its construction in 1896, the prison has the terrifying ultimate punishment for political dissenters (from the French Colonial era) and American servicemen (from the Vietnam War). Eerie music and dismal cells make no attempt to sugar-coat the harsh realities of being a prisoner in Hoa Lo, while shockingly realistic, life-sized figurines depict the prisoners’ experiences. Some scenes include prisoners sitting dejectedly against a wall in chains, or desperately making their escape through sewage pipes. A French guillotine stands menacingly in the courtyard, its knife still glinting and deadly sharp, a reminder of the sad fate of many of the prison inmates.