These words of King Richard II from Shakespeare’s namesake text come to mind when you fall in line, two by two, to view the leader in his cool glass case. Ho Chi Minh’s death on 2 September 1969 did not mark the end of Vietnam’s freedom hero. Instead, his cult of personality has been firmly entrenched in the united nation since 1975.

Despite Vietnam’s economic transformation since the mid-1980s, which has eroded the country’s strong communist foundation, Ho Chi Minh’s legacy as the unifying leader persists. In a small building behind the mausoleum, visitors can peer through windows at his Spartan living quarters and view his Peugeot 404 car. This simplicity mirrors the lifestyle of historic leaders like General Jan Smuts, the former Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa.

Vietnam has undergone significant economic shifts since Ho’s passing, but the spirit of his leadership remains. Visitors—whether they support democratic principles or not—can’t help but feel the powerful influence this small, slim man with a gray goatee still holds over his people. Even 38 years after his death, his presence is palpable in Vietnam’s culture and politics.

Behind the mausoleum, visitors get a glimpse into Ho Chi Minh’s modest lifestyle. His living quarters reflect his humble existence, in sharp contrast to the cult of personality that developed around him. Unlike many other communist or fascist leaders, Ho’s fame wasn’t driven by self-glorification but by his role in the nation’s long struggle for independence.

Ho Chi Minh’s cult of personality was not something he deliberately created, unlike leaders such as North Korea’s Kim dynasty. Rather, it grew organically from the devotion of his people. A visitor to his mausoleum can observe the deep reverence in the faces of the crowd, where no cameras or casual dress are allowed, and silence is strictly enforced.

Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, with its imposing fascist architecture, brings to mind other grand monuments like El Valle de los Caídos in Spain, built by General Francisco Franco, or the grandiose plans of Hitler’s architect, Albert Speer. The excesses of the architecture reflect the long struggle Vietnam endured against foreign rule—more than what Lenin’s smaller tomb in Moscow conveys about Russia’s history.

Born in 1890, Ho Chi Minh earned his place in history through his relentless fight against colonialism, whether it came from the Chinese, French, Japanese, or Americans. His decisions, such as the 1946 agreement with France to remove the Chinese occupation, were often controversial, but his strategic thinking proved essential to Vietnam’s long-term independence.

Vietnam’s complex history of foreign domination deeply influenced Ho Chi Minh’s worldview. As Stanley Karnow notes in Vietnam – A History, each occupying power—whether China, France, or later the U.S.—misjudged the unity and resilience of the Vietnamese people. The French and Americans underestimated a nation that was far more than just a collection of poor rice farmers.

Although Ho Chi Minh spent much of his life abroad, his passion for Vietnam remained unwavering. His return in 1941, after three decades of exile, was driven by a single obsession: freeing Vietnam from colonial rule. His nationalist vision, however, ultimately evolved into communism due to the exploitative nature of the French colonial regime.

Despite passing six years before Vietnam’s final unification, Ho Chi Minh’s influence has continued to shape the country’s development. His cult of personality remains strong, and his teachings are still revered today. The truthfulness and transparency in governance that he advocated resonate as timeless principles for political leaders around the world.

More than 33% of Vietnam’s population is under 15 years old, with no firsthand experience of the wars that defined their nation’s history. As the country modernizes and changes, the question remains: how long will Ho Chi Minh’s legacy continue to shape Vietnam’s identity? His influence may be enduring, but the future of the country rests with a younger generation that never knew him personally.

During the Communist Congress in 1947, Ho Chi Minh warned his party against the dangers of ideological extremism, cautioning that ideology must never become more important than the truth. His sobering words remain a relevant reminder for modern politics, not only in Vietnam but across the world. As President Lyndon Johnson observed, Ho Chi Minh was a complex and determined figure, shaped by decades of war and struggle.

In death, Ho Chi Minh lies peacefully in his glass case, his hands folded on his abdomen, but his influence on Vietnam remains active. His legacy is still tangible in the country’s political and social landscape, though how long that influence will last in the face of modernization remains an open question.