Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to close for annual maintenance

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the adjacent Monument to the Fallen Hero in Hanoi will be closed to visitors for maintenance work from September 4.

The project is expected to take three months to finish, and the site will be re-opened on December 5, according to the management board.

Located in the center of Ba Dinh Square, the final resting place of the country’s father figure is one of Hanoi’s main tourist attractions. It welcomes thousands of visitors every year, who come to pay their respects to "Uncle Ho".

Opened in 1973, the granite memorial was inspired by Lenin's mausoleum in Moscow and built on the spot where Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence on 2 September 1945, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

The embalmed body of Uncle Ho is preserved in the central hall inside the building, and protected by a military honor guard.

The dress code for visitors is very strict, and requires legs to be covered.

It is normally open to the public every morning from 7.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., except on Mondays and Fridays.

At night, visitors can also view the mausoleum light up and a national flag ceremony.

The Ho Chi Minh Museum and Presidential Palace will still be open to the public during the maintenance work.