Quán Thánh Temple and Trấn Quốc Pagoda in Hanoi

Quán Thánh Temple is a Taoist temple dating from the 11th century.  Located near West Lake and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the temple is dedicated to Trấn Vũ, one of the principal deities in Taoism.  The temple entrance is small, but once through the entrance, the temple opens up onto beautiful grounds and buildings.

Temple entrance

 Inside the temple

Beyond the temple, West Lake borders old and new Hanoi.  Jutting out into the lake on a small island,  the Trấn Quốc Pagoda, the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, dating from the sixth century, provides another tranquil oasis.  The temple was relocated to this site in 1615 when, after over 1,000 years, its original location on the Red River was encroached upon by the river.

Looking across West Lake

  Trấn Quốc Pagoda and entrance

Inside the pagoda, the grounds and buildings are fabulous and impressive.  It's hard to imagine that this building is around 1,450 years old.

 Inside the buildings

 Pagoda grounds

The temple and the pagoda are great contrasts and complements.  Located near each other, they each offer a calm, spiritual oasis in the city.

Ho Chi Minh Memorial Park

Ho Chi Minh Memorial Park in Hanoi is dedicated to the Vietnamese Revolutionary Leader and President Ho Chi Minh.  The center of the park contains a mausoleum which serves as the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh, known as the Ba Dinh Mausoleum.  The grounds of the park are beautiful and include a museum, the Bao Tang Ho Chi Minh Museum, with exhibits related to the former leader.

Ho Chi Minh led the Viet Minh Independence movement in Vietnam from 1941 through the end of his tenure as President of North Vietnam and Chairman and First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Vietnam in 1965.  North and South Vietnam were reunified in 1976 and the former capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, was renamed Ho Chi Minh City (although, we've found that many people still call it Saigon).

Mausoleum

 Park grounds

The park holds almost 250 varieties of plants and flowers from all regions of Vietnam.  The pathways are lined with beautiful pots of topiaries, defining areas of the park and offering their own contribution to the serenity and beauty of this place.

 Topiaries

Ho Chi Minh Park is centrally located in Hanoi, surrounded by museums, temples, government buildings, embassies, and the convention center.

 Around the museum

The park is a quiet, oasis in the city and a fabulous memorial to Ho Chi Minh.

Vietnam Military History Museum

The Vietnam Military History Museum was established in 1956, with halls describing eras of Vietnamese military history.  The grounds of the museum display decommissioned, captured, or destroyed military equipment used by French, Viet Minh, South Vietnamese, and United States forces in the First and Second Indochina Wars.

At the entrance to the museum, MIG-21 fighter jet number 4324 is displayed as a Vietnam National Treasure.  Used from 1967 to 1969, 8 of its 9 pilots have been designated Hero of the People's Armed Forces.

MIG-21 4324

Passing the MIG we come to displays of military equipment from all parties involved in the Indochina conflicts, both ground and air.

 Ground-based equipment

 Aircraft

In the center of the exhibits is a sculpture created from the wreckage of French and American aircraft during the wars including a picture of Mrs. Ha Thi Nhien collecting aircraft parts.

 Sculpture of wrecked parts

Collecting parts

Near the sculpture, the Hanoi Flag Tower was built in 1812 as an observation post and has flown the Vietnamese flag continuously since October 1954.

Flag Tower

Around the grounds, sculptures depict commemorate members of the Vietnamese military forces at work.

 Sculptures

 This has been an intriguing and thought-provoking stroll through history.