I. Who is Ho Chi Minh?  

Ho Chi Minh (original name Nguyen Sinh Cung, also called Nguyen Tat Thanh or Nguyen Ai Quoc, (May 19th, 1890 September 2nd, 1969) is not only a revolutionary and politician but also the most iconic and national hero of Vietnam.

Being a strident voice for Independence in Vietnam since the dawn of the 20th century, Ho Chi Minh became the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party and the leader of the Vietnamese nationalist movement for roughly 30 years. From 1945 to 1955, he was the Prime Minister of North Vietnam and served as its president from 1945 to 1969. Under his lead, Vietnamese people succeeded in the resistance war against French colonialism.

Ho Chi Minh is considered as one of the most influential communist leaders in the 20th century. Up until now, he has still been the symbol of Vietnamese liberation and independence.

Want to learn more about the Vietnamese liberation process? Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex!

II. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex is one of the most historic tourist attractions in Vietnam. Being there, travelers can learn numerous things about Uncle Ho’s life, together with the Vietnamese liberation process under his lead. For the first time traveling to this complex, people are suggested to visit:

• Ba Dinh Square (where Vietnamese First Independence Day was celebrated)

• Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum ( where still holds the embalmed remains of Uncle Ho),

• Ho Chi Minh Museum

• Ho Chi Minh’s House on stilts

• The Presidential Palace (White House of Vietnam)

• One Pillar Pagoda

• The House No.54 (a special historical place).

1. Ba Dinh Square

Back to the past over one century, when the French colonial government came to Hanoi, this area was quickly chosen as the political center of Tonkin/the North, and then Indochinese Federation. Therefore, in these days, people can still see a number of large buildings constructed in French architecture there, which used to be the leading colonial offices of the French government.

After the August Revolution and the defeat of French colonialism, Ho Chi Minh and his fellow took over the whole country, renamed this area as Ba Dinh Square. Ba Dinh, which means “Three Communal Houses”, was originally a village’s name in Thanh Hoa, in which the first war against French colonialists took place. After independence, the Square was given this name as a reminder of the past, of Vietnamese arduous but heroic resistance.

On 2nd September 1945, Vietnamese Independence Declaration was read by Ho Chi Minh in Ba Dinh Square, marking the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. After Uncle Ho Vietnamese Great Father passed away, in order to show their respect to his contribution to the nation’s freedom and to remind future generations of that historical event, Vietnamese people decided to launch Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in the place where used to be Ba Dinh Square.

2. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

During the Vietnam war against America, the nation was divided into two parts: The North (controlled by our government) and the South ( controlled by the American one). Therefore, in that period, it was impossible for citizens living in these two parts to meet each other.

As a result, the Southern people were always looking forward to the Great Father, hoping to meet him one day. However, President Ho passed away before the country was completely united. It led to the decision of constructing that Mausoleum, which holds the remains of Ho Chi Minh, enabling everyone to come and meet him after the country became peaceful again.

In fact, when President Ho was alive, he just asked for a simple funeral, in which his dead body would be cremated and then buried in three particular parts of Vietnam.

The first part would be one area in the North, where he worked; the second one was a place in the Middle his homeland and the last one would be in the South, in which he started his journey to discover ways to release Vietnam. Nonetheless, as Ho Chi Minh has taken an integral part in Vietnamese spirit, Vietnamese people, for the first time, did not follow his order, celebrated a national funeral and has tried to keep his body remained for years in this Mausoleum.

In order to keep Uncle Ho’s body remained for a long time, Vietnamese experts at that time had to go to the Soviet Union to learn the technology. Then, immediately after the death of Vietnam’s Great Father, these experts, together with the support of Soviet Union experts, started to embalm President Ho. After that embalming process, his body was kept in an aseptic environment in secret places, waiting for the peaceful day as well as the construction of the Mausoleum.

Not only with the embalming process but the Soviet Union also helped Vietnamese with building Uncle Ho Mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum was inspired by Lenin’s Tomb in Moscow, but the architecture was redesigned to match Vietnamese traditional culture and lifestyle.

The Mausoleum, which is surrounded by a number of marble columns, is divided into five parts. This five-part structure is to model the Vietnamese traditional house in the countryside, in which President Ho was born and brought up. On the facade of the Mausoleum, there are the words “President Ho Chi Minh” made of red plum marble, of which characters represent Uncle Ho’s lofty and morality

What makes this Mausoleum standing out is that its materials (even various plants for decoration) were from different parts of Vietnam. At that time, in order to show the whole country’s respect for President Ho Chi Minh, each province of Vietnam decided to contribute one signature material to build the Mausoleum. This action not only expresses the country’s love for the Great Father but also indicates Vietnam’s national unity.

Going inside the Mausoleum is Ho Chi Minh’s famous quote “Nothing is more precious than Freedom and Independence” made of gold. There are also two flags on the wall, one is Vietnamese national flag, one is The Communist Party flag, both of which are made of Thanh Hoa Province ’s 4000 pieces of rubies.

The embalmed body of President Ho lays on a bronze bed with lotus patterns (Vietnamese national flower), placed on a rock pedestal with automatic lift system (installed to transport Uncle Ho’s body in case of emergency). It is preserved in a glass case, put at the center of the Mausoleum, and protected by a number of military honor guards. The atmosphere here is so cool that the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh would not be damaged.

• Location: 25 Hung Vuong, Dien Ban, Ba Dinh, Hanoi

• Opening days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday

• Opening hours:  Seasonal:

  • April 1st to October 31st: 7.30 a.m 10.30 a.m (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: 7.30 a.m 11.00 a.m)

  • November 1st to March 31st of next year: 8.00 a.m 11.00 a.m

• Entrance fee: Free

• Phone: 024 3845 5128

3. Ho Chi Minh Museum

Located within Ho Chi Minh Complex, this special museum took people nearly 5 years to complete and was constructed to celebrate Ho Chi Minh’s 100 years of birth. Ho Chi Minh Museum was made in the shape of a huge white flower, 20 meters in height and has 3 floors.

The ground floor is a hall with 400 seats, which is usually used to host Vietnam’s national as well as international meetings. On the second floor, a tremendous exhibition has been displayed, which contains more than 2000 priceless historical documents and show-pieces, systematically reflecting Uncle Ho’s Working Life and Vietnam’s Revolutionary Stages.

The exhibition here contains three main contents:

• How Vietnamese people follow Ho Chi Minh’s Testament and How was his life as well as Revolutionary Cause.

• How Vietnamese people’s Life turned from Poverty into Victory under the lead of Uncle Ho.

• The world’s major historical events, shown in 8 halls.

• Location: 185/19 Ngoc Ha, Doi Can, Ba Dinh, Hanoi

• Opening days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday

• Opening hours:

  • Morning: from 08:00 to 12:00

  • Afternoon: from 14:00 to 16:30

• Phone: 024 3846 3757

• Entrance fee: 40.000vnd( nearly 2$)
  
  VI: Frequently Questions Are Being Asked About Hanoi

   1. Which Experiences Are Best For Tours In Hanoi? 
  These experiences are best for tours in Hanoi:
  COUNTRYSIDE DISCOVERY WITH JEEP CAR (1/2DAYS)
  HANOI-FOOD AND SIGHTS BY MOTORBIKE (1/2 DAY)
  TRULY HANOI EXPLORATION (1 DAY)
  HANOI STREET FOOD TOURS (1 DAY)

   2. What Are The Best Places Plus With Tours In Hanoi? 
  These places are the best combine with Hanoi
  HANOI - HALONG BAY (4 DAYS)
  FROM CAPITAL TO WORLD HERITAGE (5DAYS/4NIGHTS)
  TOP DESTINATIONS AND BEYOND TOUR

  3. Which Place Is Must See In Hanoi?
  These places must see in Hanoi:
  1: One Pillar Pagoda Hanoi, Vietnam
  2: Hoan Kiem Lake Hanoi - What to See & Do
  3: Hoa Lo Prison - Maison Centrale in Hanoi
  4: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex
  5: Temple of Literature Hanoi
  6: St Joseph’s Cathedral Hanoi, Vietnam