It’s hard to imagine Hanoi, and Vietnam in general, without its famous architectural landmarks. Hanoi Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, and Flag Tower of Hanoi have shaped the historical and architectural look of Hanoi. Let’s take a closer look at these landmarks from an unusual perspective – simply fly over the main sights! The supporting video includes a virtual tour around the above mentioned architectural landmarks of Hanoi in HD format. Below, we will add the most exciting historical facts regarding every place of interest. The overview map of all iconic landmarks of Hanoi can be found at the bottom of the webpage.
Hanoi Cathedral, Hanoi
Location on the map: 
Facts:
» The Hanoi Cathedral of St. Joseph was built in 1886 on the site of a very ancient and ruined Buddhist pagoda. 
Facts:» The the vicar of the church, Paul Francois Puginiier, petitioned the construction of the Catholic church in front of the French administration. The cathedral was built in two years.
» It resembles the French Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris. Two bell-towers 31 m high are equipped with five bells each.
» A very beautiful interior is supported by arched and stained-glass windows. The walls are decorated with wooden carvings with gilding.
» After a long break, the temple resumed worship in 1990. In the same year, the last cardinal of Vietnam was buried in the cathedral.
» The temple continues to collect numerous believers for its services. Often, street musicians play in the inner courtyard of the cathedral. It is always pleasant to listen music and have a cup of tea here.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi
Location on the map: Facts:
» The mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh - the resting place of the first President of North Vietnam - is located on the Badin Square. At this point in 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared independence of the country. Facts:» The president died in 1969. He bequeathed to cremate his body and dispel the ashes over Vietnam.
» But the comrades-in-arms made a different decision. The body was embalmed and kept in a secret place, because there was a war at that moment and American planes performed repeating bombings.
» Only after the end of hostilities in 1973, locals began construction of the mausoleum.
» The project was executed by Harold Isakovich, a Soviet architect who participated in the construction of the Lenin Memorial in Ulyanovsk.
» The mausoleum was inaugurated in 1975. It was a square building with a height of 21.6 m.
» An orchard is built around the mausoleum. It hosts 250 trees brought from all parts of Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh Museum, Hanoi
Location on the map: Facts:
» The Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi was opened on the day of his 100th anniversary in May 19, 1990. Facts:» The bulk of the construction work was undertaken by the Soviet government: construction teams, construction materials, and designers came from USSR.
» Thousands of tons of special steel for piles, tons of precious stone for wall cladding were also brought from Soviet Union.
» The main architect of the project was Harold Isakovich, he also designed the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The territory occupied by the Museum is about 18,000 square meters. This is the largest museum in Vietnam.
» The largest room can accommodate up to 400 people. There is a special library for 100 seats.
» An exposition of the traditional Vietnamese crafts is presented here - carving on wood and stone.
» The museum is part of the Architectural Ensemble of the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh.
Flag Tower of Hanoi, Hanoi
Facts: » The Hanoi Flag Tower was built during the Nguyen Dynasty in 1812. It was used to monitor the surrounding area. The height of the tower was 33.4 m.
» During the French rule (1885-1954), many ancient buildings were destroyed, but the Flag Tower remained intact.
» This is an octagonal three-story building. Inside there is a spiral staircase leading to the top.
» There are small windows along the perimeter of the tower, the gratings on which depict the Drachma wheel - a symbol of the Buddhist path.
» Today, the Tower belongs to the Military History Museum and therefore old cannons stand at its foot.
» Tourists climb the observation deck to be able to view the complete area of the Hanoi Citadel.
» It was declared by UNESCO as the world heritage of mankind in 2010.
