and is available for visits any day except Monday and Friday. Unfortunately, I was there on Monday. Nothing could be done; no luck. Nearby, there was a museum that is also a part of the mausoleum complex. I do not like visiting museums, so I decided just to walk around the environs. Moreover, a pillared pagoda had to be somewhere close to that place. Here it is. The legend says that King Thanh Tong Li was going for a long time to various pagodas to pray to have a son. One day he had a dream of the Buddha sitting on a lotus flower in the center of the pond, who gave the monarch a little boy. After a while, the dream came true, and the King had a son. Glad Li Thanh Tong ordered a pagoda be built in the form of a lotus flower, right in the middle of the pond, as it was in his vision. The pagoda was named Dien Huu. Unfortunately, the original building was blown up in 1954 by the French before they left Hanoi. This is a restored copy. It seems bigger from the outside. But you cannot enter, as there’s no free place. The Buddhists bring flowers and fruits as gifts. By the way, it’s not the Buddha inside, but the Goddess of Mercy - Kwan Yin-armed. The sight is very touristic and frequently visited.
There, I tried some local fruits. Then I went to the city's other sightseeing attractions. This is the Presidential palace. It is forbidden to stop nearby. It can only be approached by foot. First we visited the Quan Thanh shrine. It is located on the banks of Truc Bạch Lake. The shrine was built during the reign of Ly Thai To (1010-1028) and dedicated to Huyen Nhien Tran Vu. This is the patron of the north, who helped Emperor An Duong Vuong to exorcise spirits from the fortress. The territory is small, but as the shrine is located in a public place, it was quite lively inside. I came out of the shrine and we went further.
The road runs along a dam that separates two lakes. One of them is a large – Hotei Lake, another is small - Truc Bạch Lake. They were once a single entity, before an embankment was built in the 17th century.
A curious monument is installed right in the middle of the dam. This is a monument to John McCain! Yes, the same senator who ran for US president against Obama. During the Vietnam War, he was a pilot and his plane was shot down. It crashed into the lake, but he managed to eject himself from the aircraft. Subsequently, he was captured and sent to Hoa Lo prison. We went on the other side of the lake. The area was quite far. The place is called Nghitam Village. It is located on the peninsula. Everything was very cool. The road runs along a lake. We went to the Phu Tay Ho pagoda. It is situated on the tip of the peninsula, jutting into lake Hotei.
Despite its remoteness, this is one of the most popular pagodas in Hanoi. Mother Lieu Han is worshiped there. She is famous for her talents in music, singing, and poetry. I also heard that people come here to pray for love. I was amazed that, apart from the traditional flowers and fruits, even beer can be given as a gift! It is prohibited to take photos anywhere in Vietnam. You can take a few photos inside the pagoda, but it is best not to disturb the people inside. The territory stretches along a lake. On this street you can buy incense, flowers and fruits for offerings. Some buy sets, beautifully wrapped in transparent paper with a ribbon. By the way, this is a gift too. That's not all. Later we visited several shrines and a prison.
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Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is located in
Here it is. The legend says that King Thanh Tong Li was going for a long time to various pagodas to pray to have a son. One day he had a dream of the Buddha sitting on a lotus flower in the center of the pond, who gave the monarch a little boy. After a while, the dream came true, and the King had a son. Glad Li Thanh Tong ordered a pagoda be built in the form of a lotus flower, right in the middle of the pond, as it was in his vision. The pagoda was named Dien Huu. Unfortunately, the original building was blown up in 1954 by the French before they left Hanoi. This is a restored copy.
It seems bigger from the outside. But you cannot enter, as there’s no free place. The Buddhists bring flowers and fruits as gifts. By the way, it’s not the Buddha inside, but the Goddess of Mercy - Kwan Yin-armed.
The sight is very touristic and frequently visited.
Then I went to the city's other sightseeing attractions.
This is the Presidential palace. It is forbidden to stop nearby. It can only be approached by foot.
First we visited the Quan Thanh shrine. It is located on the banks of Truc Bạch Lake. The shrine was built during the reign of Ly Thai To (1010-1028) and dedicated to Huyen Nhien Tran Vu. This is the patron of the north, who helped Emperor An Duong Vuong to exorcise spirits from the fortress. The territory is small, but as the shrine is located in a public place, it was quite lively inside.
I came out of the shrine and we went further.
We went on the other side of the lake. The area was quite far.
The place is called Nghitam Village. It is located on the peninsula. Everything was very cool.
The road runs along a lake. We went to the Phu Tay Ho pagoda. It is situated on the tip of the peninsula, jutting into lake Hotei.
I was amazed that, apart from the traditional flowers and fruits, even beer can be given as a gift!
It is prohibited to take photos anywhere in Vietnam. You can take a few photos inside the pagoda, but it is best not to disturb the people inside. 
The territory stretches along a lake. On this street you can buy incense, flowers and fruits for offerings. Some buy sets, beautifully wrapped in transparent paper with a ribbon.
By the way, this is a gift too.
That's not all. Later we visited several shrines and a prison.
