13 Best Sights in The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Nearby, Hanoi

Silk paintings, folk art, sculptures, artifacts, and lacquer works are among the works of art at this museum neighboring the Temple of Literature. You can see traditional paintings depicting village scenes as well as socialist-inspired works following the Vietnam War. The full collection of Cham and Buddhist art is housed in two separate buildings with signage in Vietnamese and English. Consider prearranging a tour with Sophie's Art Tour ( www.sophiesarttour.com) to understand the stories behind the pieces.

Ho Chi Minh may have opposed the idea of being preserved and displayed in state after his death, but his wishes to be cremated were ignored for this Vietnamese interpretation of Lenin's mausoleum. The structure's choice of location on Ba Dinh Square was a natural one—it was here where Ho declared the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945. Visits to the mausoleum are expected to be quiet and respectful—skirts and shorts are forbidden, as is photography. Checking and claiming bags at the entrance can be slow, so pack lightly if possible. Lines can wind up to 2 km (a mile) long, so be prepared to wait. Hours are limited to 8 am–11 am, so arrive before 10 am to ensure entry.

Just beyond Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum is the modest wooden home where the revolutionary leader chose to live during his reign, from 1954 until his death in 1969. The lovely parklike setting offers a glimpse into the humble existence of this former ruler. Well-manicured gardens lead to a small pond where Ho Chi Minh used to clap his hands to beckon the fish for feeding time. A simple clap is enough to make these carp go wild in anticipation. Bordering the pond is the simple residence on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived. Several rooms and his three classic cars are sectioned off for viewing. To get here, you must buy tickets next to the opulent Presidential Palace at the site's entrance. The palace can only be viewed from the exterior; it now operates as a government building. The bomb shelter to the right of Ho Chi Minh's home is also closed to the public.

This beautiful shaded avenue leads past sprawling French villas and Chinese mandarin mansions (many occupied by long-serving party members) as well as the gracious North Door Cathedral (Nha Tho Cua Bac), at the corner of Phan Dinh Phung and Nguyen Bieu Streets. The large wheel of stained glass at the cathedral is reminiscent of Renaissance-era artwork in Europe and is enchanting from the inside; try the large front doors or ask around for a caretaker to let you in. Another option is to come on Sunday at 10 am for an English-language service. On the right side of the street stand the tall ramparts of the citadel, the military compound that once protected the Imperial Palace of Thang Long. In a surprising move, army officials in 1999 opened to the public Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, which runs straight through this once secretive space.

The Temple of Literature, or Van Mieu, is a treasure trove of Vietnamese architecture and a monument to the importance of education and Confucianism to Vietnam's national identity. Loosely modeled on the temple at Confucius's hometown in China, the nearly 1,000-year-old compound features five manicured courtyards surrounded by the Lake of Literature. Highlights of the Temple of Literature include giant stone turtles, the Constellation of Literature pavilion (a symbol of modern Hanoi), and the Imperial Academy—Vietnam's first university—which was founded in 1076. It is tradition for students to touch the stone turtles for luck, so don't be surprised to find this place packed with graduates in traditional dress. Go with a tour guide since few signs are in English.

Showcasing the cultural heritage of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, this museum has an indoor exhibition with a large collection of photographs and artifacts, including clothing, jewelry, tools, weapons, instruments, and items related to religious beliefs and wedding and funeral ceremonies. Behind the main building is an outdoor exhibit space with winding pathways that lead to 18 replicas of life-size tombs, boats, and traditional Vietnamese homes, including the impressive Nha Rong Bana Communal House reachable by a log ladder with chiseled steps. A free water-puppet show is presented several times daily (check the times as soon as you arrive). This is one of Vietnam's very best museums, and it's especially worth visiting if you're going to or coming from the ethnically diverse northern mountains.

Dien Bien Phu Street comes to an end at the minimally landscaped Ba Dinh Square, in the center of which flutters Hanoi's largest Vietnamese flag. This is where half a million northern Vietnamese gathered to hear Uncle Ho's Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945, and where, after Ho's death in 1969 (also on September 2), another 100,000 Hanoians gathered to pay homage. On the west side of the square is the mausoleum itself, a cold and squat cubicle that's nonetheless arresting in its simplicity and grandeur.

Across the square from the mausoleum and slightly to the left is the Ba Dinh Meeting Hall, the four-story headquarters of the Communist Party and the site where the National Assembly convenes. Across the square and to the right, where Dien Bien Phu Street meets the square, stands the huge and graceful Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Directly opposite the mausoleum and at the end of short Bac Son Road is the monument to Vietnam's revolutionary martyrs. A palm- and willow-shaded mansion to the right of the monument is the family home of former minister of defense General Vo Nguyen Giap, who orchestrated the siege at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. General Giap passed away in 2013.

This 50-acre park behind the Presidential Palace was designed by French landscape engineers in 1890. After defeating the French in Hanoi in late 1954, the state rebuilt the gardens and opened the grounds and its extensive network of trails to the public. Athletes in search of exercise congregate here for pickup soccer games, badminton, tai chi, and jogging. Lovers looking for seclusion head to the sculpture garden on the east side of the park, or cross the bridge to an island in the middle of the tree-shaded, preternaturally green lake. Unfortunately, the park doesn't have a great reputation with tourists due to its caged birds and monkeys, but it is a spot to get away from the crowds.

With English commentary on the propagandistic and occasionally bizarre exhibits, this museum is a must-see on the Uncle Ho circuit. A collection of manifestos, military orders, correspondence, and photographs from the Communist Party's early days to the present are mixed with historical exhibits covering Vietnam's revolutionary history, the fight against fascism, Ho's revolutionary world movement, and Vietnam's struggle against imperialism.

While Hanoi is famous for its ancient architecture, there are modern high-rises joining the scene as well. If you are looking for a way to take in all of Hanoi at once, head to the Lotte Center’s 64th floor at sunset. There are two glass skydecks; one comes with an official photographer that will snap photos of you for a fee, but feel free to take your own. Entry to the rooftop cocktail bar is free, while the observation deck costs 230,000d.

The French destroyed this temple on their way out in 1954. It was reconstructed by the incoming government and still commemorates the legend of Emperor Ly Thai Tong. It is said that the childless emperor dreamed that Quan Am, the Buddhist goddess of mercy and compassion, seated on a lotus flower, handed him a baby boy. Sure enough, he soon met and married a peasant woman who bore him a male heir, and in 1049 he constructed this monument in appreciation. The distinctive single pillar is meant to represent the stalk of the lotus flower, a sacred Vietnamese symbol of purity. The pillar was originally a single large tree trunk; today it's made of more durable cement. An ornate curved roof covers the tiny 10-square-foot pagoda, which rises out of a square pond. Steps leading to the pagoda from the south side of the pond are usually blocked off, but if there aren't too many people around, a monk may invite you into this miniature prayer room.

Just a few yards from the One-Pillar Pagoda is Dien Huu Pagoda, a delightful but often-overlooked temple enclosing a bonsai-filled courtyard. A tall and colorful gate opens out onto the path leading to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, but the entrance is opposite the steps to the One-Pillar Pagoda.

This imposing three-story palace just north of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum testifies to France's dedication to ostentatious architecture in Indochina. Constructed from 1900 to 1906, the bright, mustard-yellow building served as the living and working quarters of Indochina's governors-general. When Ho Chi Minh returned to Hanoi after the defeat of the French in 1954, he refused to live in the palace itself but chose the more modest quarters of the palace electrician. He did, however, offer use of the palace to distinguished guests during their visits to the capital. Today the building is used for formal international receptions and other important government meetings. You can view the structure from the outside but cannot enter the palace. Surrounding the building are extensive gardens and orchards, as well as the famed Mango Alley, the 300-foot pathway from the palace to Ho Chi Minh's stilt house.

Although not as provocative as its Ho Chi Minh City counterpart, the army museum is nonetheless an intriguing example of Vietnam's continuing dedication to publicizing its past military exploits. At the southern edge of what was once the Thang Long citadel, which housed the imperial city, the museum buildings were once used as French military barracks. In the courtyard of the museum, Chinese- and Soviet-made weaponry—including MiG fighters, antiaircraft guns, and what is said to be the tank that smashed through the gates of the Presidential Palace in Saigon on April 30, 1975—surround the wreckage of an American B-52 and F-4 fighter jet shot down over Hanoi. Other far-less-arresting displays include depictions of the Trung sisters' revolt against Chinese overlords in AD 40, sound-and-light shows highlighting battles and troop movements during the wars against the French and Americans, bicycles known as steel horses that were used on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, captured French and American firearms and uniforms, field maps and tables of major attacks, and the dreaded pungee sticks.

Adjacent to the museum is the Hanoi Flag Pillar, a 100-foot tapered hexagonal guard tower atop a three-tier square base. Built in 1812, the pillar escaped destruction by the French when they leveled much of the citadel; instead they used the tower as an observation and communication station—much like the Vietnamese military before them. The intricate fan- and flower-shape holes allow light into the tower, which has a crisp red-and-yellow Vietnamese flag fluttering from its flagpole.