Da Lat Children's Prison

Da Lat Children's Prison

Da Lat Children's Prison was built by the old regime with the beautiful name: "Da Lat Children's Training Center". at No. 9A, Xuan Huong Lake, Da Lat city, Lam Dong province. This revolutionary historical relic was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Monument on June 22, 2009. "Da Lat Children's Education Center" was established in early 1971. The old regime used demagogy to deceive public opinion, covering up sinister plots to isolate, suppress, and eventually eliminate the elite. revolutionary spirit of the young generation in the South. This "center" is actually a children's prison, fully demonstrating the nature of an imperial prison. This special prison once detained more than 600 children from 12 to 17 years old with revolutionary spirit, gathered from all prisons in the South. The prison is designed as a closed rectangular block surrounded by stone walls. The two rows of houses along both sides are mainly cells and cells; The horizontal rows of houses create two courtyards in the middle to serve prisoners' activities when outside the cell. When allowed to sunbathe in the yard, prisoners are only allowed to move within small boxes marked on the yard adjacent to the entrance of each cell. In front is a normal A-shaped block, which is the office of the prison management apparatus. All activities of child prisoners are closed behind, within solid stone walls, with many rolls of thick barbed wire on the roof, only communicating with the outside through 2 layers of solid doors but barely always closed. Through the two doors of the A-shaped block is the flag yard area, the flagpole at that time permanently hung the flag of the Saigon government. Every morning at the beginning of the week, all child prisoners must gather here to salute the flag and sing the national anthem. Those who oppose, do not salute the flag, or sing the national anthem will be tortured until they submit. The prison has 8 cells, divided into 2 areas: the male prisoner area has 6 rooms and the female prisoner area has 2 rooms. Each room's area is about 30 square meters, usually holding 60 - 70 prisoners, with some rooms holding nearly 100 prisoners at peak times. At the end of the corridor of the two cell blocks are rows of solitary cells holding dissident soldiers. In particular, there was a stone cellar hidden behind the cell corridor, with no roof but only a thick barbed wire mesh on top for the enemy to carry out the dew and sun exposure punishment of prisoners. On April 23, 1971, the Saigon government sent 126 children prisoners from Ammunition Prison (Da Nang) to the Da Lat Children's Training Center, marking the official operation of this prison. After that, child prisoners from Hoi An, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Ben Tre... continued to be transferred; Especially at the end of 1971, the Saigon government gathered young revolutionary soldiers imprisoned in Con Dao prison and Chi Hoa prison to be detained here. From here, the young revolutionary soldiers gathered core forces, established a unified command, and set out specific demands to carry out continuous, persistent, and thorough fighting measures. the prison's existence process. During the struggle, even at a young age, child prisoners were still brutally abused and tortured in many forms: cross-cuffed, beaten with whips braided from electric wire, barbed wire, scout sticks, or Use a hot high-voltage electric bulb to press on your face... In the cell, in the middle of a cold Da Lat night, the temperature dropped below 15 degrees Celsius, the enemy also poured cold water to torture prisoners in solitary confinement. The young soldiers had to sleep on the cement floor, sharing each grain of rice, sip of water, bed... Young soldiers have also organized prison escapes seven times, expressing their desire for freedom and the desire to return to continue fighting. A shocking event at Da Lat children's prison on the evening of January 23, 1973 was when children prisoners organized to destroy prison guard Nguyen Cuong, who was willing to be a lackey for the enemy. It was the courageous and indomitable fighting movement of young revolutionary soldiers that failed the enemy's sinister plot to establish this prison, forcing it to disband in mid-1973. After the day of national reunification in 1975, former prisoners of Da Lat children's prison scattered to localities, continuing to promote the tradition of indomitable struggle in prison, actively contributing to the cause of building and preserving the country. protect the country. With particularly outstanding achievements in the cause of fighting the US to save the country, in 2009, the collective of former prisoners of Da Lat children's prison was awarded the title of Collective Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the President. The national relic of Da Lat Children's Prison (1971 - 1973) has now become a meaningful tourist destination in Lam Dong province. This is a "red address" in educating revolutionary ideals, patriotic traditions, and national pride for the young generation. Source: Lam Dong Museum

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