Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House Hanoi

The living and working place of one of the most famous and important political characters in Vietnam history, President Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, aka Uncle Ho’s stilt house is a must-visit place for tourists upon visiting Hanoi. 

With simple design with peaceful and fresh air at this place, visitors can know more about the greatness and simplicity of the man who lived there.

History of Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House

The history of the house began on March 2, 1958, when Uncle Ho came to visit the first agricultural cooperative in Thai Nguyen province. The journey included seeing stilt houses, which reminded the President of his time in the Northern base. At that time, his assistants were seeking a suitable house for him.

Since the Vietnamese war against the French has ended in 1954, the President came back to Ha Noi. At that time, he refused to live in the luxurious President Palace. President Ho Chi Minh thought carefully and then told his comrades that he wanted to build a stilt house on the other side of the pond to live and work. After that, Politburo of  Vietnam Labour Party at that time decided to build a house for him.

The designer of the stilt house was architect Nguyen Van Ninh. At that time, he was Deputy Director of Architectural Design Department of Ministry of Transport and Irrigation. 

After the design was completed, on April 15, 1958, the stilt house started to be built. The builders were Team 5, under the Basic Construction Team of General Department of Logistics, including 30 people led by comrade Nguyen Kim Toan as Captain.

After about a month, on May 17, 1958, Uncle Ho’s stilt house was completed. On May 19, 1958, the President moved into this house and lived here until August 17, 1969. 

After Uncle Ho’s death, Uncle Ho’s Stilt House with its historical significance becomes an architectural work influenced by Vietnamese national culture. On May 15, 1975, Uncle Ho’s stilt house was ranked as a special national cultural and historical monument. 

Over four decades after Uncle Ho’s death, the relic Uncle Ho’s stilt house at the Presidential Palace has welcomed more than 50 millions visitors both from Vietnam and more than 150 countries worldwide.

Architecture and Structure

The house is designed in the style of ethnic minority: 10.5m in length, 6.2m in height and has two floors. 

The first floor is the place where President Ho Chi Minh works in the summer. This place is often the meeting place of the supreme officials in the government. 

The upper floor has two rooms: a loft room and a bedroom. Each room is just 10 square meters in width. The room only shows essential items in the daily life of Ho Chi Minh.

In front of the house, there is a pond with a lot of colorful fishes. 

On the backside of the house, there is a fruit garden with precious species from many places in Vietnam and foreign countries.

Highlights of Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House

Below are the reasons why Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House Hanoi is special:

This place is a house supported mostly by natural wooden stilts. Inside the house, wooden materials are everywhere: a ground wooden floor where Uncle Ho used to welcome visitors, a wooden table with many small wooden and bamboo chairs, etc.

The area surrounding the house has so many green plants and trees, which creates enchanting and peaceful airy space. Uncle Ho had a great love for poems and nature, so he built a simple stilt house to satisfy this love, and he also loved the feeling of living in the middle of nature. 

To live harmoniously with nature, he had an aquarium on the right side of the house with so many goldfishes. Besides, there is a large pond in front of the house. Visitors are free to feed the fishes in the pond. 

What to Do in Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House

• Taking photos. You can take the photos of the house, the garden, the pond and beautiful roads leading to the house (“Mango Alley”).
• Feeding the fishes in the pond.

How to Get to Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House

1. By Bus

You can go to the buses number 09, 18, 22, 33, 45, 50. All of them stop at Le Hong Phong Street, just less than five minutes to walk to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex.

2. By Private Transportation

Go to the crossroad and turn left to head to Le Hong Phong (cross the intersection of Dien Bien Phu – Hoang Dieu about 20m), go straight along Le Hong Phong street to get to Ngoc Ha street, which has the entrance to Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum.

You can find a parking site at 2 locations:

• Ong Ich Khiem Street, opposite to the Command of Uncle Ho’s mausoleum.
• Ngoc Ha Street, the entrance to Ho Chi Minh Museum

Tips and Tricks

• About clothes: Costumes must be polite and serious, do not wear clothes that are too short or offensive when visiting. Security guards may not allow you to enter if you violate this.
• About behavior and attitude: polite, not causing noise, not whispering, walking lightly, and queuing in order.
• Do not let children under 3 years old enter the house.
• Send your luggage under the guidelines of the managing committee.

Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House not only describes the Vietnam War in the past but also helps tourists get closer to the serene and humble place where the first President of Vietnam has resided. If you want to know more about Vietnam’s history, Uncle Ho’s character and his deeds, this place should not be missed in your journey of exploring Vietnam.