Phu Quoc Prison

Phu Quoc Prison, also known as Coconut Tree Prison (Nha Lao Cay Dua), is a historic prison museum in An Thoi Ward, Phu Quoc City, An Giang Province. Originally built by the French colonial administration in 1949-1950 and later expanded, it is now a Special National Relic. The site preserves barracks, watchtowers, and life-size exhibits illustrating prison conditions and is a major historical and educational attraction on Phu Quoc Island.

Visitors can explore an open-air museum complex with reconstructed barracks, barbed-wire fences, watchtowers, and exhibition halls displaying artifacts, photographs, and life-size dioramas depicting prison life. The site includes outdoor areas with original and restored structures, indoor display rooms, and informational panels. The setting is flat and open with limited shade, and visitors typically follow a self-guided or guided walking route through the compound.

Originally constructed in 1949-1950 by the French colonial administration as Cay Dua Prison and later expanded between 1955 and 1957, the prison operated until 1973. It was built to detain prisoners and at its peak contained multiple detention zones. The site was recognized as a National Historical Relic in 1995 and as a Special National Relic in 2015, and has been preserved as a museum.

The prison serves as a memorial and educational site commemorating those detained there. It is an important destination for historical education and remembrance, with exhibits focused on visitor understanding of the site's history and its role in Vietnam's modern history.