Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House

1 P. Ngọc Hà, Đội Cấn, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Vietnam +848044287 nhasanbacho.pct@gmail.com http://ditichhochiminhphuchutich.gov.vn/

Historic Sites

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Description

President Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, also known as Uncle Ho’s stilt house, is a must-see for tourists in Hanoi, as it was the home and workplace of one of the most prominent and influential political figures in Vietnam’s history.

Visitors to this location can learn more about the greatness and modesty of the guy who formerly resided there by observing the place’s simple design and breathing in its serene, fresh air.

The two-bedroom home, which is bordered by a carp pond, still includes his typewriter and sofa. Its minimal furnishings are a tribute to the individual who inhabited the home.

The founding father of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, also known as “Uncle Ho” by the Vietnamese, resided in Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House from 1958 to his death in 1969. Instead of settling in the Presidential Palace, Uncle Ho chose to live in a small wooden cottage on stilts behind the palace. The residence is situated in a nook of the presidential palace and is bordered by a lovely carp pond, which has been teeming with aquatic life since Uncle Ho’s time. In addition, there is a beautiful garden brimming with Uncle Ho’s favorite flowers and fruits, including hibiscus, willows, flame tree, and frangipani. The garden is accessible by a modest fence covered in climbing plants.

The location has been kept in the same state as when Uncle Ho abandoned it. Through its spacious doors and windows, the house on stilts offers a spectacular outlook. The 300-foot-long ‘Mango Alley’ connects the Presidential Palace visitors’ ground on Hung Vuong Street to the stilt residence. Numerous mango trees border the lane, giving it its name.

The Stilt House of Ho Chi Minh consists of two modest rooms, one of which was Ho Chi Minh’s study and the other his bedroom. You cannot enter the rooms, but you can watch them from the external walkway. They include artifacts and presents from foreign presidents. A path goes to the back of the house, where stairs provide access to the two rooms. Both rooms are modest, with a surface area of less than 100 square feet, and include little of Ho Chi Minh’s personal things. Ho Chi Minh’s typewriter, publications from the historical period, books, and an electric fan supplied by Japanese communists are found in the office. The bedroom is furnished with a bed, an ancient telephone, an electric clock, and a radio that were donated by Vietnamese expatriates in Thailand.

Uncle Ho used the empty space beneath Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House to host parties and entertain international delegates.

Ho Chi Minh would receive Party officials, Generals, and foreign dignitaries in this location, where they would sit on modest bamboo and wooden chairs. In one corner of this room sits a rattan armchair, which served as the President’s favorite reading and relaxation location.

Opening hours: From 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, with a lunch break from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm.
Entrance fee: 25,000 VND for international visitors.

Architecture of Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House

The stilt house of Ho Chi Minh was created by architect Nguyen Van Ninh and constructed in 1958 in a corner of the gardens of the Presidential Palace. It resembles the traditional stilt dwellings of the Tay – Thai ethnic group in Viet Bac, where Uncle Ho resided prior to migrating here. During the French colonial struggle, the northernmost part of Vietnam was referred to as Viet Bac (1945-1954). It included Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, and Thai Nguyen provinces.

This two-story house on stilts with a wooden-tiled roof is so modest and unpretentious. It is 10.5 meters long and 6.2 meters wide. The ground level is an open area with a big table and wooden and bamboo seats, where Ho Chi Minh worked throughout the summer months. It also served as the living room, where guests were welcomed. By a bookcase, the upper level is split into two small rooms: a study and a bedroom. Each room is around 10 square meters and is furnished with essential items for daily life in Ho Chi Minh.

It resembles neither the traditional wooden house on stilts of ethnic groups in Vietnam’s hilly regions nor the customary wooden house on stilts. The house is surrounded by fruit trees and flowers as a reflection of the nature-loving owner’s soul. The staircase leads to two small inside chambers. The size of the rooms is quite tiny, leaving minimal space for daily living – evidence of Ho Chi Minh’s plain taste.

The study of Ho Chi Minh is the room containing books, old newspapers, a typewriter, and a Japanese fan. The bedroom contains a modest bed, a telephone resembling one from the past, an electronic clock, and an old-fashioned radio. In this mansion, Vietnamese historians still maintain the black-and-white film depicting Ho Chi Minh’s life and career, including his final moments.

Under the home is an empty area that serves as a “reception office.” Ho Chi Minh invited Communist Generals and Foreign Guests to sit in basic bamboo seats. As tranquil as it may appear, space holds remnants of the raging conflict at the time: a collection of phones to different departments, a steel helmet, and other bomb protection.

In front of the house is a pond containing a variety of beautiful fish.

On the back of the house is a fruit garden including rare species from all across Vietnam and other nations.

History of Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House

Ho Chi Minh was chosen President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam after capturing control of Hanoi from the French Governors. Due to his preeminent status, he was expected to dwell in the Presidential Palace, a French-style mansion constructed as the residence for past governors. Ho Chi Minh had no wish to reside in a location associated with the legacy of these former rulers and their tyranny, which had left the Vietnamese people with such unpleasant memories and animosity.

Ho Chi Minh was inspired by the architecture of ethnic people’s traditional stilt dwellings during a trip to the northwestern region and requested a similar design for his residence. The new “president palace” was constructed with a modest timber layout, two small rooms, and no bathroom; this was where Ho Chi Minh lived as Vietnam’s president until his death in 1969.

The stilt house of Ho Chi Minh is a clear representation of his reputation as “the man of the people” — a frugal individual who enjoys living a simple life. Every day, groups of Vietnamese people visit this wooden house to experience the lingering presence of their late president, who wore brown cotton garments and sandals made from automobile tires. People sometimes confused him for a typical country elderly man rather than their colossal president based on his appearance.

How To Get To Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House

The Ho Chi Minh Stilt House is part of the Ho Chi Minh complex, which is located in the lawn of the presidential palace on Hung Vuong Street in the Ba Dinh District of Hanoi, Vietnam. Parking is accessible at the Ho Chi Minh Museum’s entrance gate for individuals who drive or take a taxi.

However, buses are more practical and cost-effective. The Ho Chi Minh Complex is less than a minute’s walk from the Le Hong Phong bus stop, served by buses 9, 34, and 22.