President Ho lives forever in Vietnamese hearts

Although President Ho Chi Minh passed away 40 years ago, his body has been preserved in a mausoleum in Hanoi for those who want to visit and pay their respects to the great Vietnamese leader.
On visiting his mausoleum, people have the chance to see President Ho resting in peace. The building, located at the centre of historical Ba Dinh Square, has been regularly refurbished to receive Vietnamese and overseas visitors.
After President Ho died, in respect to him, the Party and State decided to maintain his body in Hanoi for future generations. Division 69 - the precursor to the Guard for President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum today, was founded on February 16, 1970 with the special task of protecting the late president’s body. No matter how harsh the weather was and how fierce the war of resistance against US imperialists was, the division fulfilled its task. It even managed to move the corpse six times during the war.
On August 29, 1975, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum was officially inaugurated. The event also marked the traditional day of Division 69.
Four months later, the Central Military Commission established an army unit to be in charge of guarding the mausoleum. On May 14, 1976, the Minister of National Defence decided to establish the Command of the Guard for President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum which was entrusted with the task of preserving the corpse, taking care of all the equipment in the building, organising the Honorary Guards and receiving Vietnamese and overseas visitors. As of February 2009, the mausoleum had received more than 37 million visitors, including nearly 4.9 million foreigners from more than 160 countries and international organisations.
Over the past 40 years, his body has been kept in good condition, with the main features of his lifetime remaining intact. In recognition of its substantial contributions, the Party and State have awarded the command many high and noble distinctions, including the Ho Chi Minh Order, the Independence Order (first class) and the Feat of Arms Order (first and third class). In 2004, it was honoured with the title Hero of the People’s Armed Forces during the Renewal Process.