Ba Dinh Square 4

At first, the imposing sight of Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum seems to be only a dark and foreboding vision, the deep-grey granite of its colonnades too stern a reality for a leader affectionately known as "Uncle Ho" during his lifetime. But as the morning sun rises over Hanoi's Ba Dinh Square, its tropical rays touch the inner walls of the massive, three-story structure, bringing a hint of life to this austere monument. Over one hundred years since his birth and almost thirty years since his death, the figure of Ho Chi Minh still confronts the visitor to Vietnam with his enigmatic presence.



When visiting Hanoi, the mausoleum in Ba Dinh Square, the surrounding parklands containing the former Palais du Gouvernement, the utterly beautiful One Pillar Pagoda, the Ho Chi Minh Museum and his exquisite stilted house, hold attractions that the discerning visitor should not miss.