Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & One Pillar Pagoda - Hanoi, Vietnam

With a short morning to spend in Hanoi before returning home, we decided to visit some monuments within the city. We choose to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the One Pillar Pagoda for their historical & cultural significance.

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

The mausoleum is modelled after the Mausoleum of Lenin in Russia, and dedicated to house Ho Chi Minh’s preserved body. It is a sacred place where visitors can express their admiration and gratitude towards Vietnam's president and national hero Ho Chi Minh, a prominent cultural figure and hero of the national liberation movement (1890-1969). Built over 2 years from 1973 to 1975, the construction of the Mausoleum was actually against president Ho Chi Minh’s will. His initial wish after his departure was to have his cremation scattered all over the country, so that the current land in Hanoi can be saved for agricultural production.

The Mausoleum is also an illustration of the nation's unity. The materials that constitute the building, from the exterior granite to wood used in the interiors, were contributed by people from all over Vietnam. Even the  collection of plants and bonsais found in the garden that surrounds the Mausoleum has been donated from all the different regions in the country.

Visiting the Mausoleum is free of charge but involves a set of strictly enforced regulations. So do dress appropriately for the day, sleeved tops and bottoms below knee level are required. For Ladies, you might wish to bring along a big shawl act as a long wrap skirt if you prefer to be in shorter attires due to the heat.  The mausoleum does not open on Mon & Fridays and would also be closed for a few months in a year for maintenance, so do check online before you pay a visit there.

There is a high level of security check upon arrival. Day packs and big bags has to be left at the deposit area before you enter and larger DSLR cameras would be taken away from you before entering the mausoleum, returning to you only after you exist from the Mausoleum .While we manage to bring our smart phones into the high security main building, talking or finger-pointing are strictly prohibited within. The queue is long, mainly contributed by the local visitors, but it moves pretty fast and we manage to file past the body of Ho Chi Minh in a very disciplined single file manner.  After we exit from the Mausoleum, we went around the compound, following the trail of the crowd to visit the other attractions.

The crowd in the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Compound, Hanoi, Vietnam

Within the grounds, we also saw a simple house on stilts located beside a peaceful pond, the place where Ho Chi Minh lived in his later years.

House on stilts, place where Ho Chi Minh lived in his later years . Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Compound, Hanoi, Vietnam

One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột)

One Pillar Pagoda, built entirely on a single pillar

 The next attraction in view would be The One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột) which is actually a historic Buddhist temple. It is often regarded alongside the Perfume Pagoda, as one of Vietnam's two most iconic temples.  (Read more about our visit to the Perfume Pagoda here)

The temple was built by Emperor Lý Thái Tông, who ruled from 1028 to 1054. The temple is built of wood on a single stone pillar 1.25 m in diameter, and it is designed to resemble a lotus blossom out from a pond, which is a Buddhist symbol of purity since the flower is able to remain untainted despite coming out from the muddy pond. In 1954, the French Union forces destroyed the pagoda so the current building was rebuilt afterwards.

Front View of the stairs leading up to the One Pillar Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Compound, Hanoi, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh Museum 

 We completed the morning tour with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh.Museum which displays relics about the life and work of former president to depictVietnam's revolutionary struggle against foreign powers. It is inaugurated on May 19,1990, the anniversary of the Centenary Birthday of President Ho Chi Minh.

Ho Chi Minh Museum, inside Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Compound, Hanoi, Vietnam

There is also another temple within the compound located right to the left of the Museum. 

It has a very intricate yellow gate inscripted with Chinese Characters and we decided to take a look inside. After passing through the gate, we were welcomed by a square where a stone statue of Goddess of Mercy is situated (Quan Âm in Vietnamese or Kuan Yin 观音  in Chinese) before it further leads to the temple located  inside.

The Chinese Yellow Gate, leading to a temple, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Compound, Hanoi, Vietnam

The square leading to the inside of the temple, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Compound, Hanoi, Vietnam

It was an insightful day with great experiences, and a great way to end our Trip in Hanoi, Vietnam.
We would definitely miss this rich and vibrant city.
 
You may wish to read more about this beautiful city with the related articles here:

 Our Day Trip out of Hanoi to the Perfume Pagoda
 Halong Bay Cruise
Old Quarters & Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi 
 
 Till later then! :)