Hỏa Lò Prison Relic. Photo svhtt.hanoi.gov.vn

HÀ NỘI   Hỏa Lò Prison historical relic site in Hà Nội has launched an exclusive radio channel on Spotify to help audiences learn more about history in an easier and more interesting way.

The prison relic's Management Board (MB) told toquoc.vn that the channel opened after a period of careful deliberation with the goal of bringing history closer to the public through social networks.

Spotify is an online music, podcast and video streaming platform. It hosts music and other content from artists around the world and gets millions of hits every day.

The prison relic site broadcast channel includes podcasts that are produced by an experienced, skillful, and creative team with a lot of passion and love for the historical site.

The radio channel aims to create excitement within the community, particularly among young people. Currently, the prison relic Facebook fan page has more than 60,000 likes with regular posts on the social network.

This is the first time that a media channel about Vietnamese history has attracted the attention of so many young people, according to toquoc.vn.

The exclusive appearance on Spotify is a spectacular breakthrough in the preservation work and that it will attract younger generations and help them learn more about the country's history.

Moreover, as the COVID-19 pandemic becomes more intense, people are advised to limit going out. The MB said those staying home will be able to improve their historical knowledge while ensuring their safety, as well as alleviate their boredom. 

"I think the prison relic site’s channel on the Spotify platform is an interesting use of digital technology in historical preservation. It helps spread to all audiences the images and stories of prisoners, in particular, and Vietnamese history in general, including those who cannot directly go to this site," said Ngọc Tiến, a student from the Việt Đức High School in Hà Nội.

This is a remarkable development to integrate into the digital era, bringing a part of Việt Nam's history closer to the public, the young Hanoian added.

Hỏa Lò Prison has launched a radio channel to bring history closer to the public. Photo toquoc.vn

Hỏa Lò Prison was constructed between 1886 and 1901 and named Maison Centrale. It was considered one of the three most savage prisons in Việt Nam, along with Côn Đảo and Sơn La prisons.

Hỏa Lò was designed to hold around 500 prisoners; however, by the 1930s, the number of prisoners had soared to approximately 2,000. Most of them were political prisoners.

Later, between 1964 and 1973, the prison was used to house hundreds of  American pilots who were shot down during bombing raids against North Việt Nam, including John McCain, former US Presidential candidate, and Douglas Peter Peterson, who later became the first US ambassador to Việt Nam.

In 1993 the government retained part of Hỏa Lò Prison to transform it into the historic site. 

Hỏa Lò Prison, which used has also gone by the monikers "Hell on Earth"; "The School for Patriots” and the “Hanoi Hilton”, is a historical site located at 1 Hỏa Lò Street, in the centre of Hà Nội.

The prison gained notoriety as a French prison for political prisoners.

There is a memorial monument dedicated to the Vietnamese patriots and revolutionary fighters who were interned at the prison.

This is also a “Red Address” for educating Vietnamese people from all walks of life, especially the younger generations, on the patriotic and revolutionary traditions of those who sacrificed for the sake of the nation’s independence and freedom. VNS