香港六合彩即时开奖

Infamous 'Tiger cages' in Con Dao Prison on Con Son Island.

漏 JuliaST/Shutterstock

Tiger Cages

Con Dao Islands

LoginSave

The notorious cells dubbed 'tiger cages' were built in 1940 by the French to incarcerate nearly 2000 political prisoners; the USA continued using them in the 1960s and 1970s. There are 120 chambers with ceiling bars, where guards could poke at prisoners like tigers in a Victorian-era zoo. Prisoners were beaten with sticks from above, and sprinkled with quicklime and water (which burnt their skin and caused blindness).

The tiger cages were deliberately constructed away from the main prison, out of sight, and only accessed by an alleyway. They were unknown to the outside world until 1970, when a US congressional aide, Tom Harkin, visited Con Son and saw evidence of the brutal torture of the prisoners he met there. Harkin had been tipped off about their existence by a former inmate and managed to break off the pre-arranged tour. Using a map given to him, he discovered the tiger cages behind a vegetable garden, and photographed the cells and prisoners inside. The images were published by Life magazine in July 1970.

Contact

香港六合彩即时开奖's must-see attractions

  • Bai Dram Trau

    Bai Dram Trau

    3.07 MILES

    Reached via a dirt track 1km before the airport on Con Son Island, Bai Dram Trau is a sublime, remote 700m half-moon crescent of soft sand, fringed by鈥

  • Bay Canh

    Bay Canh

    4.26 MILES

    Perhaps the best all-round island to visit is Bay Canh, to the east of Con Son Island, which has lovely beaches, old-growth forest, mangroves, coral reefs鈥

  • Phu Hai historical prison, Con Dao island, Vietnam.

    Phu Hai Prison

    0.45 MILES

    The largest of the 11 jails on the island, this prison dates from 1862. Thousands of prisoners were held here, with up to 200 prisoners crammed into each鈥

  • Section of Hang Duong Cemetery for Unknown Soldiers, Con Dao, Vietnam.

    Hang Duong Cemetery

    0.52 MILES

    Some 20,000 Vietnamese prisoners died on Con Son and 1994 of their graves can be seen at the peaceful Hang Duong Cemetery, located at the northeastern鈥

  • Bai Dat Doc

    Bai Dat Doc

    1.13 MILES

    This simply beautiful cove consists of a kilometre-long crescent of pale sand, fringed by wooded hills. The beach's profile is gently shelving and there's鈥

  • Bao Tang Con Dao Museum

    Bao Tang Con Dao Museum

    0.12 MILES

    This impressive museum has more than 2000 exhibits, including many rare documents, dioramas and excellent photographs, which comprehensively record the鈥

  • Van Son Temple

    Van Son Temple

    1.62 MILES

    This large hilltop temple complex, 1km southwest of the town centre, enjoys fine views over Con Son town and islands offshore to an ocean-filled horizon鈥

  • Phu Binh Camp

    Phu Binh Camp

    0.67 MILES

    On the northeastern edge of town, this prison was built in 1971 by the Americans, and had 384 chambers. The cells had corrugated-iron roofs, and were鈥

View more attractions

Nearby Con Dao Islands attractions

1. Bao Tang Con Dao Museum

0.12 MILES

This impressive museum has more than 2000 exhibits, including many rare documents, dioramas and excellent photographs, which comprehensively record the鈥

2. Bai Loi Voi

0.2 MILES

On the north side of Con Son Town, Bai Loi Voi is a broad sand-and-shingle beach with lots of seashells and shade-providing coastal trees. At low tide鈥

3. Cow Shed

0.44 MILES

Built by the French in 1930, this crumbling complex was initially known as the 'pigsty' as prisoners were kept in farmyard-style quarters and fed like鈥

4. Phu Hai Prison

0.45 MILES

The largest of the 11 jails on the island, this prison dates from 1862. Thousands of prisoners were held here, with up to 200 prisoners crammed into each鈥

5. Hang Duong Cemetery

0.52 MILES

Some 20,000 Vietnamese prisoners died on Con Son and 1994 of their graves can be seen at the peaceful Hang Duong Cemetery, located at the northeastern鈥

6. Museum Vo Thi Sau

0.54 MILES

Small museum dedicated to the life of teenager martyr and national heroine Vo Thi Sau.

7. Revolutionary Museum

0.59 MILES

Located in the former French commandant's residence, this museum has exhibits on Vietnamese resistance against the French, communist opposition to the鈥

8. Phu Binh Camp

0.67 MILES

On the northeastern edge of town, this prison was built in 1971 by the Americans, and had 384 chambers. The cells had corrugated-iron roofs, and were鈥