HANOI, 7 December (BelTA) - During his official visit to Hanoi, Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko has laid wreaths at the Fallen Heroes War Memorial and the mausoleum of the first president of Vietnam, leader of the Vietnamese national liberation movement Ho Chi Minh, BelTA has learned.
Traditionally, an important part of official delegations' visits to Hanoi is the ceremony of laying wreaths at the Fallen Heroes War Memorial and the mausoleum of the first president of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh. These are important symbols of the country.
The inauguration ceremony of the Fallen Heroes War Memorial was held on 7 May 1994 to mark the 40th anniversary of the victory in the battle against the French colonizers at Dien Bien Phu.
The working day of the Belarusian prime minister in Hanoi started from here. Roman Golovchenko laid a wreath at the monument, honoring the memory of the soldiers who fought for the independence of Vietnam. Afterwards, the prime minister took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the mausoleum of Vietnam's first President Ho Chi Minh.
The mausoleum is also an important ceremonial site during official visits to Vietnam. The mausoleum is located on the country's largest Bà Dinh Square. It was here in 1945 that the leader of the Vietnamese national liberation movement proclaimed the Declaration of Independence of Vietnam.
The construction of the mausoleum began in 1973, four years after Ho Chi Minh's death, following the end of the Vietnam War. Until the mausoleum was completed, the embalmed body of the first president was kept in a secret location to preserve it from bombing during the war. The designer of the mausoleum was Soviet architect G. Isakovich. Access to the tomb is open daily from 9 am to noon. It is strictly forbidden to take pictures inside.
