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About Maison Centrale

Maison Centrale, or Hoa Lo Prison, is often called the Hanoi Hilton by American prisoners of war, in sarcastic reference to the upmarket hotel chain. The name Hoa Lo means "fiery furnace" in Vietnamese. The prison's most famous inmate was probably Douglas Pete Peterson, the first US ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and John McCain, the US pilot who later became a senator. The name Maison Centrale comes from the French, where the term Maison Centrale usually refers to a prison back in France.


Located in the centre of Hanoi, Maison Centrale is no longer used as a prison today. Within Maison Centrale are the various torture instruments used by the French on its Vietnamese prisoners. Here the French incarcerated, tortured and guillotined many which the state considered revolutionaries.

Getting there

Maison Centrale is located along Hoa Lo Street, an offshoot of Ly Thuong Kiet Street. Using the Melia Hanoi as reference, walk along Ly Thuong Kiet Street with Melia Hanoi to your right. You will pass the Ministry of Justice building on your right and then reach the junction to Hoa Lo Street. Turn right into it. Hoa Lo Prison entrance is a short distance from the junction, on the left side of the road.

Nearby Sights

  • Ba Da Pagoda
  • Le Thai To Monument
  • Ly Trieu Pagoda
  • Melia Hanoi
  • National Library of Vietnam
  • Quan Su Pagoda
  • St Joseph's Cathedral

    • Maison Centrale Location Map


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    Maison Centrale
    Maison Centrale (2 September 2006)
    © Timothy Tye


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