North Vietnamese MIG-21 fighter used in American War, Ba Dinh district.

Vietnam Military History Museum

Hanoi

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Easy to spot thanks to a large collection of weaponry at the front, the Military Museum displays Soviet and Chinese equipment alongside French- and US-made weapons captured during years of warfare. The centrepiece is a Soviet-built MiG-21 jet fighter, triumphant amid the wreckage of French aircraft downed at Dien Bien Phu, and a US F-111. Adjacent is the hexagonal Flag Tower, one of the symbols of Hanoi. Tower-only admission is free via the adjacent Highlands coffee shop.

Access is possible to a terrace overlooking a rusting collection of war matériel (equipment and supplies used by soldiers). Opposite the museum is a small park (Lenin Park; Cong Vien Lenin) with a commanding statue of Lenin.

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