Hanoi Flag Tower is a special historical structure and has the most majestic scale in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel complex. Not only is it a symbol of Hanoi, but the Flag Tower is also a historic relic. This work is considered a “historical witness” to the resilience and indomitability of the local people during the glorious resistance war against the French.
General information about Hanoi Flag Tower
The Hanoi Flag Tower was built during the Nguyen Dynasty, from 1805 to 1812, at the same time as the Hanoi Citadel. The project was built as a tower, serving as an observation tower for the inner and suburban areas at the time. This is also why the French colonial government did not demolish this structure between 1894 and 1897.
During the resistance war against the US, the Flag Tower was guarded and used by Hanoi Air Defense troops for the same purpose. In 1945, after the success of the August Revolution, the red flag with a yellow star was first hoisted atop the Flag Tower. In 1954, the resistance war against the French colonialists was a complete victory, and the National Flag once again flew.
On October 10, 1954, exactly at 15:00, the moment when the National Anthem echoed amid cheers and the image of the flag flying was. From that moment, the red flag with a yellow star flying on the Hanoi Flag Tower became a symbol of Vietnam’s independence and freedom. In 1989, the Flag Tower was officially recognized by the State as a historical relic.
Location, opening hours and ticket price
The flag tower is only about 300m from “Đoan Môn” (the main gate leading to the ancient Forbidden Citadel, currently located in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel relic area); 500m from Kinh Thien Palace (Central Thang Long Imperial Citadel), and about 1,000m from the North Gate of Thang Long Imperial Citadel.
Address: 28A Dien Bien Phu Street, Ba Dinh Ward.
Visitors can visit the Hanoi Flag Tower every week (except Monday), with opening hours from 9:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m.
Ticket prices to visit will vary depending on each subject, specifically as follows:
- Adults: 20,000 VND/person
- People over 60 years old: 10,000 VND/person
- Students: 10,000 VND/guest
- Pupils under 15 years old: free
A small note for you: you need to bring identification as proof so the ticket sales staff can apply the correct price to your ticket.
Unique architecture of Hanoi Flag Tower
The Flag Tower stands at about 33m, including the 44m flagpole, so from afar, visitors can easily see the Hanoi Flagpole. The general structure includes 3 base floors and 1 tower, connected by a spiral staircase.
The base floors are shaped like a truncated square pyramid, gradually decreasing in size, overlapping one another, and surrounded by bricks. The first floor is 42.5m long and 3.1m high, with two brick stairs leading up. Second floor, each length is 27m; 3.7m high with 4 doors, above each door are engraved with Chinese characters such as: “Nghênh Húc” (welcoming the morning light) in the east, “Hồi Quang” (reflected light) in the west, “Hướng Minh” (towards the light) in the South, the North door has no inscription. The third floor, each length is 12.8 m, 5.1 m high, has a door to the stairs facing the North.
The upper floor is the body of the flagpole, which is 18.2m high, has an eight-sided cylindrical shape that gradually tapers upwards, and each bottom edge is about 2m wide. Inside the pillar, there are 54 spiral steps leading to the top. The cylinder’s heart is illuminated by 39 rosette-shaped holes and 6 fan-shaped holes. These holes are placed along the cylindrical sides; each side has 4 to 5 holes. Thanks to that design, the inside of the pillar receives natural light, and the air is always well-ventilated.
The remaining part is the top of the Hanoi Flag Tower. From a distance, this part looks like an octagonal building, functioning as a guard post. This watchtower is 3.3m high and has 8 windows on each of its 8 sides. In the middle of the floor, there is also a round cylindrical column, 40cm in diameter, reaching to the top – that is where the flagpole is placed.
According to the design, the flag hung on top of the Hanoi Flag Tower is 4m wide, 6m long, and has a surface area of 24m². The flag is made of non-glossy fabric, sewn with 3 threads, and its tail is quilted multiple times to withstand strong winds.
From the Hanoi Flag Tower lookout, you can see quite a large area both inside and outside the ancient Thang Long citadel.
From the North of the Flagpole, you can see many ancient relics such as the Main Gate, the Rear Palace, the North Gate, East facing the Post Office reflecting on Hoan Kiem Lake; to the west is Ba Dinh Square, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and the open space is to the south.
Source: collected by An
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