Hanoi - Hoan Kiem Lake travel guide

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Hoan Kiem lake

Hoan Kiem lake is one of the most beauty place in ha noi vietnam. Early morning sees Hoan Kiem Lake at its best, stirring to life as walkers, joggers and tai chi enthusiasts limber up in the half-light. Space is at a premium in this crowded city, and the lake’s strip of park meets multiple needs, at its busiest when lunch-hour hawkers are out in force, and easing down slowly to evenings of old men playing chess and couples seeking twilight privacy on benches half-hidden among the willows. The lake itself is small – you can walk round it in thirty minutes – and not particularly spectacular, but to Hanoians this is the soul of their city.

The name of the lake, which means “Lake of the Restored Sword”, refers to a legend of the great hero of viet nam, Le Loi, who led a successful uprising against the Chinese in the fifteenth century. Tradition has it that Le Loi netted a gleaming sword while out fishing in a sampan and when he returned as King Ly Thai To, after ten years of battle, he wanted to thank the spirit of the lake. As he prepared the sacrifice there was a timely peal of thunder and the miraculous sword flew out of its scabbard, into the mouth of a golden turtle (Vietnamese use the same word for turtle and tortoise) sent by the gods to reclaim the weapon.

A good way to get your bearings in Hanoi is to make a quick circuit of the lake, a pleasant walk at any time of year and stunning when the flame trees flower in June and July. The sights below are given in a clockwise order, beginning at the iconic Huc Bridge (possibly the most photographed sight in the city) at the lake’s northeast corner.

Ngoc Son Temple

Crossing over the striking The Huc Bridge, an arch of red-lacquered wood poetically labelled the “place where morning sunlight rests”, you find the secluded Den Ngoc Son, “Temple of the Jade Mound”, sheltering among ancient trees. This small temple was founded in the fourteenth century and is dedicated to an eclectic group: national hero General Tran Hung Dao, who defeated the Mongols in 1288, sits on the principal altar; Van Xuong, God of Literature; physician La To; and a martial arts practitioner, Quan Vu. The temple buildings date from the 1800s and are typical of the Nguyen Dynasty; in the antechamber, look out for the dragon heads, carved with bulbous noses and teeth bared in manic grins.

Statue of King Ly Thai To

Heading south along the eastern side of the Hoan Kiem lake, you’ll come to an imperious statue of Hanoi’s founding father, King Ly Thai To, which was erected in 2004 in anticipation of celebrations to mark the city’s millennium in 2010. At dusk, the expanse of polished stone paving around it provides an incongruous venue for Hanoi’s small but keen band of break-dancers.

>> Also see: things to do in hanoi