WELL-KNOWN CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL TOURISM DESTINATIONS OF CON DAO ISLAND (P1)

Tuesday - 29/09/2020 05:55
For 113 years, Con Dao - “hell on earth” imprisoned the thousands of Vietnamese revolutionary soldiers, of which more than 20,000 patriots died for the country here. And also during those 113 years, Con Dao became a place for refining resilience and indomitable will and a revolutionary school of the communists and Vietnamese patriots. “Con Dao has become a majestic monument of patriotism and revolutionary optimism of many prisoners who have been present and rested forever here, and it is a destination to show the respect and admiration of the people and international friends today ”
1. Relic of the Island Lord's Palace
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Located on Ton Duc Thang Street, when reaching the town center Con Dao Visitors can go by car or motorbike, bicycle or on foot to visit this relic. The Palace of the Island, also known as the Grand Palace, Palace of the Chief of Province, was formed in the years 1862 - 1876, together with the other infrastructure on the island. The Temple of the Island is located in an area of about 02 hectares, including the main house, the out-house and the garden, opposite 914 Pier. Here, there are 53 the Island Lords living and working over 113 years (1862 - 1975) As the central hub of the prison system, all the ruling apparatus on the island are under the control of the Island Lord. Relic of the Island Lord's Palace was recognized by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 548/QD-TTg on May 10, 2012 as a Special National Monument.
 2. Relic of Cong Quan

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Located in the center of Con Dao town, visitors can easily find the Cong Quan relic on Ton Duc Thang Street, visit the house built by the French colonialists in the late nineteenth century, with an area of ​​150 m At present, Cong Quan relic has been restored in the complex of the Island Lord's palace. Here, the talented French musician, Camille saint Saens, stayed for a full month (March 20 - April 19, 1895). During nearly a month in Con Dao, he witnessed prisoners doing daily hard work such as: soaking for several hours in water to get coral to burn lime, making hardships to break rocks, and to pull wood etcHe could not imagine that with the brutal torture, the prisoner was still optimistic, together with the beauty of the nature of Con Dao that he felt. When he returned to his room he stayed up all night and finished the last chapter of the opera "Brunechilda". His concern still was in the letter to the Lord of Jacke. "Where beauty is respected, crime is repelled, there is no need of law". If possible, visitors come here in the early morning to see the beautiful Con Son beach when the dawn just wakes up. Relic of Cong Quan was recognized by the Prime Minister in the Decision No. 548 / QD-TTg on May 10, 2012 as a Special National Monument.
3. Hang Duong Cemetery
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Coming to Con Dao, visitors will be able to visit Hang Duong Cemetery, the resting place of thousands of revolutionary soldiers and Vietnamese patriots who have been imprisoned for 113 years, respectively died for the country under the brutal yoke of colonialism and empire.  Hang Duong cemetery is 190,000 meter in square wide. According to the estimated number, more than 20,000 patriotic prisoners rested in Con Dao. In 1992, Hang Duong cemetery was restored and embellished. Hang Duong cemetery has 4 gravesides. Zone A has the grave of the late General Secretary Le Hong Phong, the grave of patriotic scholar Nguyen An Ninh; Zone B has the grave of the Vietnamese People's Armed Forces Hero Vo Thi Sau and Le Chi Hieu; Zone C has a grave of heroic martyr Le Van Viet; Zone D is the gathering place for graves from Keo cemetery, Cau islet etc
Today, to honor the Heroes of Martyrs and Vietnamese patriots who fought and died in Con Dao, and to denounce the atrocious crimes of the Con Dao prison regime under the two colonial periods -old and new, a system of highly generalized art works has been built such as: the ceremony area with the main monument and historical reliefs of Con Dao, the stone garden with real reliefs, the statue of the faith and the Statue of the hope. Hang Duong Cemetery relic was recognized by Prime Minister on Decision 548 / QD-TTg as a Special National Monument dated May 10, 2012..

4. Keo cemetery
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Located on Nguyen Van Cu Street, visitors come to visit and burn incense at Hang Keo cemetery. The cemetery has an area of 80,000 square meters This is the burial place of about 10,000 prisoners killed by the French colonialists in Con Dao prison from the early twentieth century until the period of white terror in 1940-1941. The saying "go to Hang Keo" is a saying of the prisoner when they see their mates out to the resting place, the plaintive verse still remains to this day:
 “Con Lon is easy to go but not back  Live in the mountains of Chua, and return to Hang Keo ”.
In 1997, the graves found here were rebuilt and relocated to Zone D - Hang Duong Cemetery. Currently only natural forest trees remain and the remains of prisoners are still underground. The area of Hang Keo cemetery in the past, has now been established to commemorate the monument by the State.
Hang Keo Cemetery relic was recognized by Prime Minister on Decision 548 / QD-TTg as a Special National Monument dated May 10, 2012.

5. Destination of So Co
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Located on Le Duan Street, visitors can go by car or motorbike, bicycle or walk to this relic attraction. So Co relic was built by the French colonialists in 1929, in order to serve the prison apparatus. Entering the American imperialist period, this house was the headquarters of the Military Police. In particular, So Co is the place to save the last moments of the first and only female political prisoners during the French colonial period, Vo Thi Sau. When she was taken to the execution ground of Con Dao and was on the verge of death, but she still maintained the courage of the Communists, the optimism and belief in the victory of the revolution. Her example of unyielding integrity has become the pride of the nation's youth when it comes to her name.Currently, So Co relic is restored, embellished and used as a souvenir gallery for the Heroic Hero Vo Thi Sau. So Co relic was recognized by the Prime Minister in the Decision No. 548 / QD-TTg on May 10, 2012 as a Special National Monument.
6. Relic of 914 Pier
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Located right in front of the Island Lord's Palace, the Pier directs to Con Son Bay, to visit the relic 914, follow the Ton Duc Thang street. Construction was started in 1873 with a length of more than 100m. The remaining imprint with time is the layered rocks, weighing many tons, exhausted and crushed many imprisoned prisoners. The number 914 is only symbolic of the number of prisoners who died while building this pier, this is the place where the prisoner first set foot in exile when going to Con Dao. This place was shaded with flags on the successful August Revolution (1945), the day the country was completely liberated (1975), and thousands of prisoners returned to the mainland freely. Now, although it is far from that painful period, each stone still resounds with the lyrics: "Con Lon, the stone of life ..."
914 Pier relic was recognized by the Prime Minister in the Decision No. 548 / QD-TTg on May 10, 2012 as a Special National Monument

 

Source: Translator: My Phuong.

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