Hang Keo Cemetery
- Tuesday - 19/07/2022 20:04
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Hang Keo is one of the two most famous cemeteries in Con Dao. It was built by the French colonialists on an area of 80.000m2 and is the resting place of more than 10.000 patriotic political prisoners who were killed by the French at Con Dao prison from the beginning of the 20th century until the White terrorism in 1940- 1941 period. It was named Hang Keo (which means rows of Acacia trees) because there used to be rows of Acacia trees around the cemetery.
Together with the fame of Hang Keo cemetery, the prisoners’ terror is also mentioned whenever people talk about that cemetery. “visiting Hang Keo” was a metaphor that people used to talk about the fact that their friends were sent to the resting place. That metaphor even exists in poems:
This place has revolutionary vestiges of each martyr, each political prisoner, each citizen throughout different fighting periods of Con Dao prison. This is where thousands of revolutionary soldiers and patriotic compatriots have heroically sacrificed for our country, which is a profound lesson to educate current and future generations about revolutionary traditions.
Nowadays, the remains of this old cemetery are recorded on a stele to remind later generations of a tough time of fierce fights of patriotic revolutionary soldiers on Con Dao land. Because of its timeless historical value, Hang Keo Cemetery Relic was recognized as a particularly important national relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information via Decision No. 54-VHQD on April 29, 1979. On May 10, 2012, the Prime Minister issued Decision 548/QDTTg to recognize it as a Special National Monument.
“Côn Lôn đi dễ khó về
Sống nương Núi Chúa, thác về Hàng Keo”
(Though it is easy to come to Con Lon, it is difficult to return from the island. When people live, they depend on the Lord Mountain. When they die, they are buried in Hang Keo cemetery.)
In 1997, those graves found here were relocated to zone D of Hang Duong Cemetery in Con Dao. Currently, only natural forests still exist, along with the prisoners' remains which are still underground and haven’t been found. (Though it is easy to come to Con Lon, it is difficult to return from the island. When people live, they depend on the Lord Mountain. When they die, they are buried in Hang Keo cemetery.)
This place has revolutionary vestiges of each martyr, each political prisoner, each citizen throughout different fighting periods of Con Dao prison. This is where thousands of revolutionary soldiers and patriotic compatriots have heroically sacrificed for our country, which is a profound lesson to educate current and future generations about revolutionary traditions.
Nowadays, the remains of this old cemetery are recorded on a stele to remind later generations of a tough time of fierce fights of patriotic revolutionary soldiers on Con Dao land. Because of its timeless historical value, Hang Keo Cemetery Relic was recognized as a particularly important national relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information via Decision No. 54-VHQD on April 29, 1979. On May 10, 2012, the Prime Minister issued Decision 548/QDTTg to recognize it as a Special National Monument.