Phu Quoc Prison (Coconut Tree Prison)

A preserved section of the prison camp used to hold Viet Cong and North Vietnamese prisoners during the Vietnam War, now operated as a museum. The site documents the history of the camp from its origins under French colonial rule through its expansion under American and South Vietnamese administration. Thousands of prisoners were held here in conditions that survivors describe as deliberately brutal.

The museum contains original prison buildings, preserved cells, reconstructed torture equipment, and graphic dioramas. It is confronting to visit — visitors should be prepared for disturbing content. Near An Thoi in the south of the island. Free admission.

things to do museum
A story
The prison held over 40,000 Viet Cong prisoners at its peak during the Vietnam War. American and South Vietnamese forces used torture methods here documented in detail after liberation in 1973 — the accounts of survivors, and the lifelike dioramas inside the museum, are deeply disturbing. The site is presented by Vietnamese authorities as a monument to national resistance, which shapes what is shown and what is not.

Other places in Things to Do