Con Dao Prison, where some 20,000 Vietnamese revolutionaries died during
the war against the French colonialists and American invaders, has
become a special national relic.

On March 23, a certificate
honouring the prison its new title was handed over to the authorities of
southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province (where Con Dao prison is located), in
the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan.

Deputy PM Nhan said the title demonstrates the nation’s deep gratitude
to 20,000 martyrs and heroes, who laid down their lives for the
independence and freedom of the Fatherland and for the Communist Party
of Vietnam’s ideals, making Con Dao the most sacred land in the country.

The title is also a confirmation of the historical
relic’s great value, contributing to educating younger generations on
the nation’s heroic history, Nhan added.

A decision to build Con
Dao prison was issued in 1862. It encompassed eight prison blocks, each
covering 10,000-25,000 square metres, and dozens of auxiliary cells,
capable of detaining tens of thousands of prisoners.

Con Dao
prison witnessed Vietnamese revolutionaries with staunch spirit endure
the brutal torture of French colonialists, and later American
imperialists, from 1930 to 1975. It was estimated that one prisoner died
every day. Vietnam’s outstanding leaders, including late
President Ton Duc Thang, late Party General Secretary Le Duan, and late
Party General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh were once held in the prison.-VNA