Chí Hòa Prison - the 'octagonal battleground' in the heart of Saigon

Spread across 7 hectares with eight equally sized sides, Khám Chí Hòa, the temporary detention site, resembles a mystical octagonal fortress amidst the city center when viewed from above.

Khám Chí Hòa Prison, also known as Khám Chí Hòa Detention Center, is located in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City. It was constructed by the French in 1943 to replace the former Saigon Detention Center at the corner of Lý Tự Trọng and Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa streets. The project was initially initiated by the Japanese after the French withdraweal to house prisoners. However, before its completion, the Japanese withdrew from Vietnam.

Subsequently, the French took over the unfinished construction. Most of the materials, including cement, iron, and steel, were imported from France. On March 8, 1953, when Khám Chí Hòa was completed, the old Saigon Detention Center was demolished. Apart from a few prisoners who were released, approximately 1,600 individuals, accompanied by the guillotine, were transferred to Khám Chí Hòa.

Aerial view of Chí Hòa Prison ( source: Internet)

With an area of 7 hectares, Khám Chí Hòa is a three-story building with 238 rooms. It includes two sections dedicated to female prisoners. This facility was once used to imprison political prisoners who fought against French colonial rule and the Republic of Vietnam regime. Today, it is managed by the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department and houses defendants in cases within the city.

Designed and constructed by a Japanese architect, Khám Chí Hòa follows the concept of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, making it a remarkable architectural structure. It combines the fundamental characteristics of French architecture, such as solidity, elegance, and coolness, with the mystical Yin-Yang and Five Elements concepts of the East.

Khám Chí Hòa has an octagonal shape with eight equal sides, symbolizing the eight hexagrams: Càn, Khôn, Chấn, Tốn, Cẩn, Khảm, Đoài, and Ly from the Book of Changes (I Ching). It consists of eight prisoner quarters, each built in the shape of a square within the octagonal structure. Some research suggests that Khám Chí Hòa was constructed based on the Eight Trigrams Formation of Kong Ming and Gia Cát Lượng during the Three Kingdoms period. The eight hexagrams correspond to the eight gateways of the formation: Hưu, Sinh, Thương, Đỗ, Cảnh, Tử, Kinh, and Khai.

Each side of the octagonal structure represents a section, covered with a solid outer wall, while the interior is entirely enclosed with iron bars, and each section contains four prison cells. Chí Hòa has only one entrance, often referred to as the "door of death." Beyond this entrance, there is a tunnel system designed in a maze-like fashion, making it disorienting for anyone who enters without guidance, similar to being trapped in a labyrinth with no way to find an exit.

(Source: Internet)

With the octagonal trigram formation of Chí Hòa, once prisoners enter this place, it becomes difficult for them to escape. Throughout history, there have only been three successful escape attempts. The first occurred when revolutionary soldiers took advantage of the Japanese coup against the French in 1945. The second was by the notorious robber Điền Khắc Kim in 1972, and the third was by the infamous inmate Phước "Eight Fingers" in 1995.

For a long time, Khám Chí Hòa has been associated with mysterious legends. It is rumored that the central guard tower within the main compound is the guardian sword. No matter how cunning the criminals are, once inside, all their tricks are nullified by this "divine" sword. This sword is the "heart" of the building, and if it were ever removed, the entire trigram formation would collapse.

Another intriguing story passed down through oral tradition is that due to the numerous deaths within Khám Chí Hòa, the atmosphere here is heavy and oppressive. As a result, thunder and lightning frequently strike and break a corner, opening a Sanh gateway, allowing the trapped spirits to escape and the deceased to find liberation.

There was information suggesting that the Republic of Vietnam government brought in a highly skilled geomancer to partially neutralize this "trigram formation." In reality, one of the eight rooftops of the octagonal structure was leveled, disrupting the perfection of the "Eight Trigrams" and creating a favorable condition for souls to depart. On the other hand, some scientists believe that there may be an ore deposit beneath the building, attracting lightning strikes to Khám Chí Hòa.

Ngoc Nguyen,