Hellfire Pass is by far the most impressive war memorial in Kanchanaburi province. A visit is highly recommended for people with a strong interest in World War II history. A railway cutting through the mountains on the Death Railway, known by the Japanese as Konyu cutting.
We start with a visit to a very informative museum that records what happened during the railway construction. We continue on a walk through the Hellfire Pass – a moving experience that one will never forget.
Hellfire Pass was built during World War II, in part by prisoners of war. Work by torchlight at night in a thick bamboo forest gave the pass its name. Along the walking trail made by the Allied prisoners, visitors can envision the difficulties they faced while constructing the Death Railway using only simple tools. In 1943 they completed the pass – approximately 500 meters long and 26 meters deep – in six weeks with dynamite, hand drills, picks, shovels, and baskets.
