Hoan Kiem lake, a beautiful heart of Hanoi capital

Hoan Kiem lake,the beautiful heart of Hanoi capital

There are many beautiful lakes in Hanoi but the most beautiful one is Hoan Kiem lake in the center of  Hanoi, nearby Hanoi ancient quarter & French quarter. As beautiful as a flower basket in the heart of Hanoi capital, this lake is surrounded by the streets of Dinh Tien Hoang, Le Thai To and Hang Khay with its total round of about 1.8km long.When viewing the lake from a tall building,its water surface is like a large mirror reflecting its beautiful surrounding areas with big ancient trees, old pagodas & temples and newly skyrised buildings

Hoan Kiem lake's name and its legend

In the past, this lake was named Luc Thuy (green water lake) because its water colour was naturally green all the year around.Then in 1428, the lake was renamed to Hoan Kiem (translated as the lake of returned sword) by the King Le Thai To basing on an interesting legend narrated as follow.”Vietnam was under Ming’s brutal domination from 1410-1428.They broke down many buildings of great architectural values in Vietnam, burnt our historical documents, raped women..ect…with bad purpose of making Vietnam as a part of China.Vietnamese were unbearable and united themselves under the leadership of Le Loi gereral. Le Loi was supposedly offered a good sword by a fisherman.During 10 years of war ressistance against the Chinese, Le Loi used this powerful sword, defeated the Chinese and finally got the nation’s independence & freedom.He became the king under the name Le Thai To, established the capital & royal palace in Hanoi.On a nice day, on his dragon boat trip along Luc Thuy lake, there was a big tortoise approaching his boat.The king used the old sword pointing at the tortoise for the solders’attention.Suddenlly, that big tortoise took the old sword by its mouth and disappeared.The king thought that the tortoise(the saint) had helped his nation at the wartime with a magic weapon, now the nation got the peace back and the saint would like to get the sword back.That was why the King Le Thai To renamed the lake from Luc Thuy to Hoan Kiem in 1428.You can see this beautiful scene in water puppet show. In fact, we have a very big tortoise living in this lake,sometimes appearing in the water surface.It is a sign of good luck if you can see him.

Hoan Kiem lake's visit and its seasonal beauty.

There are two islands on the lake.The first one in the middle of the lake is Thap Rua (Tortoise Tower)- the symbol of Hanoi’s beauty.Another one is Ngoc island linked with the bank by red bridge (The Huc bridge).Here you can visit Ngoc Son temple (Jade mountain temple) dedicated to general Tran Hung Dao & saint Van Xuong.It ‘s worth your visit with nice photos of the lake’s surroundings from Ngoc island (Jade island).

As the center of Hanoi capital, Hoan Kiem lake is a nice venue, a good meeting point of visitors and locals in four seasons with its different charms

• Traditional festivals with Chrismas & New year celebration and the blooming of colorful flowers in Spring
• Cool breezes with shady trees to refresh ourselves in Hanoi hot Summer.
• Blue sky with yellow leaves on trees, on a cooler weather for the picturesque Hanoi in Autumn.
• Trees with yellow leaves falling down, slightly colder weather with drizzle droplets in Winter.

When travelling to Hanoi, you should spend time visiting Hoan Kiem lake & its surrounding areas such as Ngoc Son Temple, Opera House, big church, Hanoi ancient quarter….etc. A trip to visit the lake in early morning is a nicer way to enjoy its serene, quiet scenery with a number of locals heading there for daily morning exercises : taichi, running, walking, arobic….You can stroll around the lake on your own or join us in interesting tours to explore Hanoi attractions such as Hanoi city tour, Good Morning Hanoi Tour upon your interest.We are happy to support you and be your trusted friend for your enjoyable holiday in Hanoi, Vietnam.For further information of any travel service, please, send us your request to [email protected] or visit our website https://goldenholidaytravel.com for reference. See you in Hanoi, Vietnam