Island Lord Palace
Con Dao Island, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Vietnam
Island Lord Palace is home to converge ruling apparatus of Con Dao prison system. Existing in a relatively long period of time, this is one of the most vivid evidences of most cruel and fierce prison regime spanning the history of Vietnam War.
Located in the center of Con Dao facing Pier 914 monument, Island Lord Palace is built on an area of about 2 hectares. The building retains a total area of 18,600 m2 including 1,250 m2 of main hall and outbuilding with low-rise French architecture along with garden area of about 17,000m2. The entrance of the palace overlooks the historical pier. Island Lord Palace can be considered as a miniature botanical garden with lush green trees and the wide range of the colorful flowers. Especially, there is a kind of special yellow flower in the gardens of the palace. The locals here call the flower Phuong Hoang (Phoenix) flower. Discovering Island Lord Palace is one of the most things to do in Con Dao.
As one of the must-see tourist attractions in Con Dao, Island Lord Palace was established among 1862 - 1876 along with the infrastructure on the island. Here, 53 Island Lords experienced total 113 years (1862-1975), 39 Lords of which was under French Colonial and the rest was under American imperialism. Island Lord Palace is the central headquarters of Con Dao Prison system. All ruling apparatus from island Lord to relevant authorities on the island are under the Island Lord's control. The building of the island Lord expresses the luxurious life of reign compared to misery and poor living condition of prisoners. There are often dozens of prisoners hard laboring and serving all of island Lord's living activities. Thanks to remains left, Island Lord Palace deserves one of the most impressive historical sites in Con Dao strongly appealing tourists.
After the liberation in 1975, entire Island Lord Palace was built into Con Dao Museum and became one of the most impressive Con Dao attractions alluring both domestic and international tourists. The photographs and artifacts here replayed in part the oppression and brutal torture that communist soldiers had to endure in their imprisoned period. In particular, visiting the palace, tourists will witness things and the photos showcasing the cruelty of colonial regime towards Vietnamese patriotic soldiers such as stewed rice milling, solarium and frightening tiger cages. These images make any tourists both at home and abroad setting foot on the palace chillingly without contemplating. Thanks to these artifacts, Island Lord Palace attracts more and more tourists to the palace in particular and Con Dao tourism in general. The palace itself is also the irrefutable proofs displaying the cruelty and absolutist of the brutal regime toward Vietnam country.
With a total of nearly 700 artifacts and image galleries, the palace partly transmits to the public about the true evidences of the sacrifices, the evidences of the crimes of colonialism and imperialism having inflicted patriotic Vietnamese generations and revolutionary soldiers in Con Dao prison. In order to support additional materials and objects for the storage and galleries of artifacts, the Management Board of Con Dao revolutionary historical monument has enlisted the sympathy and support of all authorities and sectors, especially Liaison Committee of Con Dao former political prisoners with numerous different forms of collectibles has collected a large number of valuable artifacts throughout years. The management board has collected over 6,074 records of Con Dao political prisoners through periods only since 2000 (including 4,774 records including portraits), 266 artifacts as well as 542 photo and paper materials. They are actually extremely precious materials turning Island Lord Palace into one of the must-see tourist sites in Con Dao tours.
Island Lord Palace is also home to establish the first revolutionary government in 1945 and total liberation of Con Dao in 1975. It is recognized as extremely important national relics area by Ministry of Culture - Information in 1979. In 10 May 2012, Prime Minister issued decision recognizing Island Lord Palace as Special National Monument. Con Dao revolutionary historical monument with 113 years of its existence has witnessed numerous fluctuations, ups and downs and tragic events but heroic of Vietnamese people in the struggle against the invasion of colonialism and imperialism. It deserves to be one of the most appealing tourist attractions in Con Dao travel.
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- Con Dao
- Con Dao Prison
- Con Dao tourism
- Con Dao attractions
- Con Dao travel
- attractions in Con Dao
- historical sites in Con Dao
- things to do in Con Dao
- Island Lord Palace
