Ba Dinh Square
Where independence was declared in 1945.
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gregor Dodson — CC BY-SA 2.0
A massive marble mausoleum holding the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Vietnamese revolution and the country's first president, in a climate-controlled glass chamber. Construction began on 2 September 1973 and it opened on 29 August 1975, its design inspired by Lenin's Mausoleum in Moscow. It faces Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh read Vietnam's declaration of independence on 2 September 1945. Visitors file past in a long, silent queue in front of an honour guard. Cameras, food and drink are not allowed inside, phones must be switched off, and bags are left before the security check. Dress modestly, with no shorts or revealing clothes, take off your hat and keep quiet. Visits are morning-only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays; the mausoleum is closed on Mondays and Fridays. It also closes for about two months each year for scheduled maintenance: in 2026 from 4 September to 2 November, reopening on 3 November. Around the square are the Ho Chi Minh Museum and his stilt house in the grounds of the Presidential Palace, as well as the One Pillar Pagoda, all easy to combine in one morning.
Where independence was declared in 1945.
At the mausoleum doors.
Museum, stilt house and One Pillar Pagoda.
Ba Dinh Square, Hung Vuong Street, Ba Dinh District
One Pillar PagodaA small Buddhist shrine set on a single pillar in the middle of a square pond, s2 minutes walk4.4
Imperial Citadel of Thang LongFor centuries the heart of power in Vietnam: the Ly dynasty founded its capital,8 minutes walk4.3
Temple of LiteratureVietnam's oldest seat of learning: a temple to Confucius founded in 1070, joined12 minutes walk4.5
Tran Quoc PagodaHanoi's oldest Buddhist pagoda, said to have been founded in the sixth century o15 minutes walk4.3
Hoa Lo PrisonA prison the French built in the heart of Hanoi between 1896 and 1901 and called22 minutes walk4.4Every Monday and Friday, and for about two months each year for scheduled maintenance; in 2026 that ran from 4 September to 2 November.
Modest clothing that covers shoulders and knees, no shorts or revealing clothes, hats off and silence inside. Photography is not allowed in the chamber.