Hang Duong Cemetery

Hang Duong Cemetery is the largest cemetery on Con Son Island in Con Dao, Ho Chi Minh City. Located near the centre of Con Son town, it is the burial place of nearly 20,000 prisoners who died at Con Dao Prison between 1862 and 1975. The cemetery is notable for its rows of white tombstones, central memorial monument, and the grave of Vo Thi Sau, and is a major site of remembrance and pilgrimage.

Visitors can expect a large, quiet, park-like cemetery with tree-lined avenues and thousands of uniform white graves arranged in zones. The central memorial area features a monument and landscaped grounds. The most visited section is the grave of Vo Thi Sau, where visitors offer incense and flowers. The site is solemn and well-maintained, with paved paths for walking, areas for incense offering, and evening visits when many pilgrims come to pay respects.

Hang Duong Cemetery served as the burial ground for prisoners who died in Con Dao Prison from 1862 to 1975. It contains the graves of approximately 20,000 Vietnamese patriots and revolutionary martyrs, including Vo Thi Sau (1933-1952). The cemetery was established during the French colonial period and continued through later periods, and is now a nationally recognized memorial site.

The cemetery is a revered place of remembrance and spiritual pilgrimage in Vietnam. It is visited to pay respects to those who died for the nation, with customs of offering incense, flowers and prayers, particularly at the grave of Vo Thi Sau. The nightly incense offering has become a distinctive cultural practice for visitors to Con Dao.