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Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi

Christmas Eve was our last day in Hanoi. Our flight to Hue departed at noon so we had the morning to sight see.

Since the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is only open early in the morning (the last group is at 10:15 a.m., and the grounds close at 11 am), we decided to visit.

Admission is free.

We arrived at the complex just ahead of a large elementary school group. We rushed to be the first to have our bags inspected and cameras confiscated. Photography is not allowed inside.

After surrendering our cameras, we joined the solemn and quiet procession of people making their way into the mausoleum.

We were beside some very old Vietnamese ladies, and seemingly surrounded by Chinese tourists.

Lots of people were grinning at how cute the boys were, and trying to touch them.

I briefed Jojo that we wouldn’t be able to talk and be noisy inside, but if he had a question he could whisper it to me. When we got in the mausoleum, we viewed the glass-encased body of Uncle Ho. He actually looks really well preserved and realistic. I had some doubts when I viewed Chairman Mao in his Maosoleum in 2006, but Uncle Ho looks like the real deal.

Jojo was tapped by a guard and ushered to a special ramp where he could get a better view. The procession didn’t stop; everyone just walked slowly in a square around the body, turning their eyes to see.

I thought it was really sweet that Jojo was given a special privilege in order to get a better view. Especially since he is from a lineage of imperialists/capitalists. But Uncle Ho did love children, so I’m sure he would have been pleased.

Jojo later said that he thought the guard was going to put him in jail. I had tried to smile and nod reassuringly when the guard led him away, so maybe it helped him to not break down in the stony silence of the mausoleum.

Once outside, we were allowed to have our cameras again while we viewed Ho Chi Minh’s car collection and two of his former houses.

The boys kept getting attacked by old Asian women, mostly from the Chinese tour group. They had lots of photos snapped of them as well by the Chinarazzi.

 

There is a museum on the grounds that I wanted to see, but once we got to the top of the stairs and saw the melee of school children on field trip (their instructor kept blowing a whistle at them!) and realized that admission wasn’t free, we turned tail and bought some French bread (10 cents, fresh!) and green tea and called it a day. 

And that is how we spent Christmas Eve morning, 2009.

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