Historical Monument Chin Ham Prison: Hell on Earth in Hue City
Wheres is Location of Chin Ham Prison or Hell on Earth in Hue?
Chin Ham Prison (9 Bunkers Jail Area), known as “Hell on Earth” is located in Ngu Tay Hamlet, An Cuu Village, Thuy An Commune, Hue City. It is about 6km Southwest of the city center, at the foot of Thien Thai Mountain.
History and What to See in Chin Ham Prison?
Called Nine Basements (Bunkers) but actually only 8 Basements (Bunkers) and 1 guard house. This is a warehouse of war weapons materials built by the French army in 1941.
Since 1954, Ngo Dinh Can (brother of South Vietnam ‘s President – Ngo Dinh Diem) used this place to isolate the Communists and some Hue people. Who fought against his family dictatorship that ruled by the Ngo family.
The tunnels occupy about 2/3 of the hill with rectangular in shape. The door to tunnels faces the foot of the hill. The only tunnel 1 sinks deep into the ground. The remaining chambers above the surface from 1/3 to 2/3 of the height of the tunnel. The ceiling was 0.5m thick. The tunnel was with concrete, and makes that impossible to escape.
These tunnels, also called tiger cages, are divided into two rows of tiger cages. Each of them is about 0.9 m wide, 0.2 m long, 1.5 m high. Above the head, there is an iron grid, and each tunnel has only 1 small ventilation air hole.
According to the Decision No. 2015VH-QD dated February 26, 1993. Chin Ham and the villa of Ngo Dinh Can (1 km away – He was Brother of South Vietnam President: Ngo Dinh Diem) was recognized by the Vietnamese State as a historical monument. Those are to show the evedence of crimes in Chin Ham area and Ngo Dinh Can’s house.
