Ba Đình Square and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

This is Ba Đình Square, in the centre of Hanoi's Ba Đình district. It is named after the Ba Đình uprising of 1886–1887.

On 2 September 1945, Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in this square. Since then it has been the setting for state ceremonies and military parades. Around the square stand the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other buildings.

At the centre of the square stands the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh died in 1969. Construction began on 2 September 1973, and the mausoleum was inaugurated on 29 August 1975. Its design was inspired by Lenin's Mausoleum in Moscow, with Vietnamese elements such as the sloping roof. It is 21.6 metres high and faced with grey granite. The entrance doors are made of precious wood from the Central Highlands, and the walls of the main hall bear flags made from 4,000 pieces of ruby stone. Seventy-nine sago palms are planted in front of and behind the building.

In the central chamber, Ho Chi Minh's body lies in a glass case. Two soldiers stand guard at the entrance and change every hour, and during visiting time four guards stand in the central chamber. Each year the mausoleum closes for a period of scheduled maintenance.

Photography is not allowed inside the mausoleum. Avoid very short or revealing clothing, and keep quiet and keep moving while inside.