Flag Tower of Hanoi

It is associated with Vietnam. The record gives 1812 as its date of establishment or first appearance. It forms part of Imperial Citadel of Thang Long and Vietnam Military History Museum. It is recorded in the collection of Vietnam Military History Museum.

The tower is considered to have been built in 1805 or 1812 during the Nguyen dynasty as an observation post to the Hanoi Citadel. Unlike many other structures in Hanoi, it was not destroyed during the French invasion (1896-1897), and was continuously used as a military post. From 1956 to 2024, the Hanoi Flag Tower was located within the grounds of the Vietnam Military History Museum (formerly the Military Museum), and now belongs to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, situated on Dien Bien Phu Street, Ba Dinh District.

• Illustration — Flag Tower of Hanoi Cột cờ is composed of three tiers and a pyramid-shaped tower with a spiral staircase leading to the top inside it. The first tier is 42.5 m wide and 3.1 m high; the second - 25 m wide and 3.7 m high and the third - 12.8 m wide and 5.1 m high. The second tier has four doors. The words "Nghênh Húc" (English: "To welcome dawn's sunlight") are inscribed on the eastern door; the words "Hồi Quang" ("To reflect light") - on the western door and "Hướng Minh" ("Directed to the sunlight") - on the southern door. The tower is lighted by 36 flower-shaped and 6 fan-shaped windows. The National Flag of Vietnam is on top of the tower.