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The imposing, Edwardian-styled Presidential Palace, just north of the HCM Mausoleum, testifies to France's dedication to architectural elegance in Indochina. Constructed between 1900 to 1906, it served as the living and working quarters of Indochina's governors-general. Being a humble man, when Ho Chi Minh returned to Hanoi after the defeat of the French in 1954, he refused to live in the palace & chose the more modest quarters of the palace electrician. He did, however, offer the use of the palace to distinguished guests during their visits to the capital. Today the building is used for formal international receptions and other important government meetings. You can view the Palace from the outside but cannot enter it. Surrounding the Palace are extensive gardens and orchards that were a botanical garden during the French period, as well as the famous Mango Alley, the 300-ft pathway from the palace to Ho Chi Minh's stilted house.
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Asia
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