At the top of the mausoleum is the inscription "President Ho Chi Minh" in dark red jade stone from
Cao Bằng. The mausoleum's door is made from precious wood from the
Central Highlands. The front hall is adorned with pink-veined marble, providing a backdrop for the inscription "Nothing is more precious than Independence and Freedom" and Ho Chi Minh's signature inlaid in gold. The 200 doors within the mausoleum are crafted from precious wood sent by the people of the Southern region, Central Highlands,
Quảng Nam -
Da Nang, and
Trường Sơn Soldiers, and made by the carpentry artisans from
Nam Ha,
Hà Bắc, and
Nghệ An. The lawn in front of the mausoleum consists of 18,000 m2 of ginger grass, a native grass from the South, planted by artisan Nguyen Van Hoa. The entrance door to the chamber housing the body was made by two artisans from Gia Hoa village. Flanking the main door are two
frangipani trees. In front and behind the mausoleum, 79
cycad trees are planted, symbolizing Ho Chi Minh's 79 years of age. To the south and north sides of the mausoleum are two rows of
bamboo, a symbol of Vietnam. Two soldiers always stand guard at the entrance, changing every hour. At the center of the mausoleum is the marble-lined chamber from Ha Tay where the body lies. On the wall are two large national and party flags, made from 4,000 pieces of
ruby stone from
Thanh Hóa, with the hammer and sickle and golden star inlaid with bright yellow marble. President Ho Chi Minh's body is placed in a glass case. Through the transparent glass, Ho Chi Minh's body can be seen wearing a faded khaki outfit, with a pair of rubber sandals placed at his feet. During visits, four soldiers stand guard around the glass case. The glass case housing the body is a technical and artistic work crafted by master craftsmen from both Vietnam and the Soviet Union. The bed is made of bronze, adorned with stylized lotus flower patterns, and the three sides of the bed are fitted with high-impact glass. The bed canopy is made of metal, with an automatic lighting and air conditioning system. The bed is placed on a stone pedestal with an automatic elevator system. The mausoleum is square-shaped, each side measuring 30 meters, with the entrance facing East. The south and north sides have two grandstands, each 65 meters long, for guests during major ceremonies. In front of the mausoleum is Ba Dinh Square, with a parade route and a 380-meter-long lawn divided into 210 green grass squares, lush year-round. In front of the mausoleum is the flagpole, where the flag-raising ceremony begins at 6 a.m. (in hot season); 6:30 a.m. (in cold season) and the flag-lowering ceremony takes place at 9 p.m. daily. Leading directly from the lawn is Bac Son Street, lined with red roses and peach blossoms. At the end of Bac Son Street is the Martyrs' Memorial. To the west of the square is the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex, which includes the
Ho Chi Minh Museum, and Ho Chi Minh's
stilt house. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum frequently welcomes numerous visiting delegations from various provinces, cities, and foreign countries. == Activities ==