Ba Dinh square Hanoi

Ba Dinh Square is a central tourist destination Hanoi, but unlike returned Sword Lake tourist district, there are no hotels and no tourist infrastructure. But this is the place of concentration of the main attractions of the capital, and the buildings of the authorities. And it is one of the few places in the city where you can feel the space, and the view does not rest on an endless wall of buildings. On the vast territory of the square there is a mausoleum, a Ho Chi Minh Museum, a pagoda on one pillar, a National Monument, the House Museum of the president of Ho Chi Minh City, as well as the current parliament buildings and the presidential residence. From the eastern part of the square adjoins the park (entrance to the park is paid-2000 VND), which is nothing special and not very well maintained, but this is one of the few places in the center of Hanoi where you can sit among the greenery and enjoy the silence.

On the way from the lake to the square you can also visit the Museum of the Vietnamese Army, the statue and park of Lenin, The Temple of Literature, The Fortress of Hanoi, see the Hanoi flag tower.

It is best to allocate half a day or even more to visit the Square, and immediately see all the interesting places, and not get to each of them separately each time. However, you need to take into account that their working time is very inconvenient, with lunches, so it would be ideal to visit the Square early in the morning, starting at 8 o'clock, in order to have time to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (entrance until 10:45), and then visit either The Ho Chi Minh Museum and the pagoda on one pillar, or

Also be sure to visit the Square in the evening. With the advent of darkness (usually it gets dark after 18:00), this place is transformed, turning into a large area for running and walking, and monuments and buildings are very beautifully illuminated.

What to see in Ba Dinh square

• Ho Chi Minh Museum

  

  The Shape of the museum building resembles a lotus flower, which is a symbol of the noble character of Uncle Ho. The main hall contains more than two thousand documents, articles, photographs and exhibits illustrating not only the historical events that took place in the life of President Ho Chi Minh, but also the facts that have taken place in the world since the end of the XIX century.

  It can not be said that this is a must-visit museum, since the subject matter is specific and not everyone will like it. But if you are interested in the modern history of Vietnam and will have a couple of hours of free time,then it is worth visiting. Learn more about the Ho Chi Minh Museum here...

  🕐 Working hours: from 08:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16:30 , seven days a week. Monday and Saturday open only in the morning from 08:00 to 12:00.

  💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: 40,000 VND (approximately 1.52 USD, see Vietnam's currency and exchange rate).

  🚶 How to get there: The Museum is located in Ba Dinh Square at 19, Ngoc Ha St (Ho Chi Minh Museum on the map of Hanoi).

• Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh

  

  The mausoleum is the resting place of Vietnam's greatest leader – President Ho Chi Minh City, or as he is sometimes affectionately called – Uncle Ho. Anyone, including foreign tourists, can get inside the mausoleum for free and see the body of Ho Chi Minh City. But it should be remembered that this is a very important, almost sacred place for the Vietnamese. Inside there are even stricter rules than even when visiting temples: photos and videos inside are strictly prohibited, it is forbidden to talk, go strictly along the route and do not linger, you can not carry bags and backpacks (they are handed over to the storage room), be sure to turn off the cell phone, and, of course, no shorts, beach slippers, T-shirts and miniskirts. There are always a lot of people who want to visit the mausoleum, so you have to stand in line and plan about 1 hour for the whole visit. Learn more about Ho Chi Minh City mausoleum here...

  🕐 Working hours: the mausoleum is available for viewing from the outside around the clock, you can visit only in the morning from 07:30 to 11:00 hours. Closed Mondays and Fridays. Also closes annually for 2 months for maintenance (September and October)

  💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: admission is free.

  🚶 How to get there: the mausoleum is located in Ba Dinh Square in the center of Hanoi and about two kilometers from the lake of the returned sword and the tourist area (Mausoleum on the map). For more information about the order of visits, see the link above.

• Presidential palace

  

  Next to Ba Dinh Square is the presidential palace, which is not only visited, but even forbidden to take pictures, as signs everywhere warn, and for which the soldiers guarding the palace diligently scowl. However, a part of the presidential palace called Ho Chi Minh's Vestige In the Presidential Palace Area is open to the public. It is noteworthy that the president of Ho Chi Minh City lived and worked here from 1954 until his death in 1969. They say that everything here has been preserved absolutely in the same form as it was in Uncle Ho's time. The territory is beautiful and well maintained, includes an orchard, a pond, a garage with two cars of the president, a house on stilts, a workhouse, and, of course, a gift shop. It is convenient to visit the palace immediately after visiting the mausoleum.

  🕐 Working hours: from 08:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00, Monday and Friday are closed.

  💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: 40,000 VND.

  🚶 How to get there: the entrance to the palace is located on the right side of the mausoleum on Ba Dinh Square (entrance to the Palace on the map).

• One pillar Pagoda

  

  It is the oldest Pagoda in Hanoi, and the most important. It was built in 1049 during the reign of Emperor Li Thai Tong. It was originally a wooden structure on a wooden pole in the middle of a tiny pond, but later it repeatedly lost the status of the main pagoda and was rebuilt. Its current appearance is the result of its restoration in the 1950s after complete destruction by the French.

  Despite the fame and significance, tourists here have nothing to do for more than 10 minutes, although it is worth paying tribute and certainly look at the unusual architecture with your own eyes.

  💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: admission is free.

  🚶 How to get there: located between Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ho Chi Minh Museum (pagoda on the map of Hanoi)

• National Monument

  

  A beautiful monument to the heroes-martyrs is installed in Ba Dinh square opposite the mausoleum and behind the parliament building. The construction of the monument was started on April 7, 1993, the opening took place on May 7, 1994, the day of the 40th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The place is far from mandatory for tourists to visit, but very important for local residents. You can visit it while walking around Ba Dinh Square, but keep in mind that access to the monument from The Walking part of the Square is usually blocked, and you need to approach from Hoang Dieu Street.

  💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: admission is free.

  🚶 How to get there: located in Ba Dinh Square from Hoang Dieu Street (monument on the map of Hanoi)