Vietnam Military History Museum
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.
