Introduction to Ho Chi Minh Memorial Hall

After Ho Chi Minh died of illness on September 2, 1969, the Vietnamese government started construction of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum here. The construction of the memorial hall began on September 2, 1973, and was officially completed on August 29, 1975. The mausoleum was mainly inspired by Lenin's Mausoleum in Moscow. And adding unique elements of Vietnamese architecture, such as pitched roofs. The gray granite material used is gray, black and red polished inside. Above the porch is written: President Ho Chi Minh (Vietnamese: Ch? T?ch H? Chí Minh in large Vietnamese characters).

The main structure of the mausoleum is 21.6 meters high and 41.2 meters wide. There are two platforms and seven steps on both sides of the mausoleum. The square in front of the main entrance of the mausoleum is divided into 240 small green belts, each 1.4 meters wide. The gardens surrounding the mausoleum have more than 240 species of flowers and plants, all from different regions of Vietnam.

The mausoleum sits in the west and faces east, shaped like a lotus, simple and solemn, with magnificent architecture. On the red granite wall in the hall in front of the mausoleum are the words "Nothing is more valuable than independence and freedom" in golden characters and Ho Chi Minh's autograph. There are two slogans on the walls on both sides of the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Hall: "Long live the Socialist Republic of Vietnam" and "President Ho Chi Minh will always live in the hearts of the people." The slogans are written in Vietnamese. Ho Chi Minh's body is placed in the mausoleum. The body is kept in a crystal coffin provided by China in the central hall and is guarded by a military honor guard. The crystal glass will shine under dim light.