Before the 20th century, Ba Dinh Square was an empty space that was later built by the French into a Pugininer flower garden. Around the flower garden, there are a number of office buildings and villas, which include the Presidential Palace and the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today. After the Japanese coup d'etat, Doctor Tran Van Lai - the mayor of Hanoi under the government of Tran Trong Kim changed the name of the flower garden to Ba Dinh Square.