Phu Hai Prison Camp

Con Dao's oldest prison camp, built from 1862 in the island's centre, shaded by ancient tropical almond trees recognised as Vietnam Heritage Trees

Right in the centre of Con Dao on Le Van Viet Street, Phu Hai Camp is the oldest camp of the Con Dao prison system. It has had many names over the years: Banh I was the first, later Lao I, Cong Hoa Camp, Camp 2, and finally Phu Hai Camp. The site belongs to the Con Dao Prison Special National Relic, recognised by the Prime Minister on 10 May 2012. The camp was built by the French from 1862 and completed as a solid structure in 1896, covering more than 12,000 m². Inside are 10 communal cells, 1 special cell, 20 solitary cells, a stone-breaking area, a rice-milling cellar, as well as a club, kitchen, dining hall, lecture hall, chapel, storehouse and warden's office. Many generations of prisoners were held here, from the patriots Ngo Duc Ke, Dang Nguyen Can and Phan Chu Trinh to the revolutionaries Ton Duc Thang, Pham Hung and Pham Van Dong. The group of tropical almond trees in the camp grounds is among the 79 ancient trees of Con Dao recognised as Vietnam Heritage Trees in 2012. From Pier 914 and the Governor's Palace, it is only about a 5-minute walk to Phu Hai and Phu Son camps; Phu Hai Camp is included in the relic site's combined ticket.

English text: machine translation from the Localis platform — proper names kept in Vietnamese.