The Flag Pole of Hanoi (or The Flag Tower of Hanoi) (Hanoi)

 tower, museum, flagpole, 1810s construction

The Flag Tower of Hanoi (Vietnamese: Cột cờ Hà Nội) is a tower in Hanoi, Vietnam, which is one of the symbols of the city. Its height is 33.4 m (41 m with the flag). Built in 1812, the tower, unlike many other structures in Hanoi, was not destroyed during the French administration (1896-1897), being used as a military post.

Cột cờ is composed of three tiers and a pyramid-shaped tower with a spiral staircaise 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 "Hà Quang" ("To reflect light") - on the western door and "Hướng Minh" ("Directed to the sunlight") - on the southern door. The tower is lightened by 36 flower-shaped and 6 fan-shaped windows. The National Flag of Vietnam is on top of the tower.