Cultural Friendship Palace
Never one to downplay its influence, the Soviet Union assisted with the design and construction of this "workers' cultural palace," formerly known as the Vietnam Xo Cultural Palace. Inaugurated September 1, 1985, the rigid 120-room white colossus stretches from Yet Kieu Street to Tran Binh Trong Road. The palace actually consists of three structures: the performance building houses a 1,200-seat concert hall, and the study and technology buildings contain a library, conference hall, and observatory. At the various clubs hosted here, Hanoians gather to share ideas on everything from biochemistry and chess to billboard usage in the Old Quarter. The Vietnam Trade Union headquarters is just across the street, next to the Ministry of Transportation and Communication. The broad open space here known as May 1 Square is conducive to commemorating the past and present glories of the Communist Party, and you'll invariably see propaganda posters and waves of dangling street lights consisting of blinking yellow stars and red hammers and sickles. On the square's northeast corner is a beautiful Chinese-style meeting hall.
