Hanoi has been endowed with a myriad of lakes of different sizes lyingscattered across the city, which, with their own distinctive beauty andhistory, have added a special cultural trait typical of Hanoi.
With more than 100 lakes of all sizes, Hanoi has more lakes than any other capital city in the world.
Ofall the natural and man-made lakes, Ho Guom or Hoan Kiem lake (Lake ofthe Restored Sword) and Ho Tay (West Lake) are the largest and the mostbeautiful.
The history of Hoan Kiem lake is closely associatedwith the founding history of Thang Long – the country’s former capital,which nowadays is called Hanoi .
The lake used to be called LucThuy Lake or “Green Water Lake” since the water was green all yearround. In the 15 th century, it was named Hoan Kiem lake after thelegend of King Le Thai To and the large tortoise that grabbed his sword.
Thelegend dates back to the time of the Le Dynasty six centuries ago.During the war against the Minh aggressors (1417-1427), King Le Thai Tochanced upon a precious fairy sword. After 10 years of struggles, theKing finally defeated the northern invaders and reclaimed the nation’sindependence. After that, one nice day, while the King was boating onlake Luc Thuy, a large tortoise swam towards him and asked him to returnthe sword. The tortoise grabbed the sword with its mouth and then divedagain.
Hence, King Le Thai To named the lake Hoan Kiem or Lake of the Restored Sword.
Throughthe many ups and downs of history, the lake has remained a green pearlinside the city. Vietnamese, no matter how far they are from home,cannot help but feeling nostalgic about Hoan Kiem lake, where the imageof the old Tortoise Tower is reflected under the pure green, sparklingwater and the beautiful willow trees bend over the lake to see theirreflections in the water.
The vivid and colorful scenery, the redarched The Huc Bridge and Thap But (Pen Tower) have also found theirway into many songs and poems.
Tay Ho (West Lake) in Hanoi, meanwhile, is often described as the most romantic place, resplendent in its beauty and vastness.
Coveringan area of more than 500 hectares, the lake was formerly known as DamDam or Lagoon of Mist, until the 15 th century and a favourite placefor the kings of the Ly, Tran and Le dynasties to rest and relax.
WestLake becomes even most beautiful during the autumn. During thistime, the dew and mist mingle together to make the lake duskier and moreromantic, especially with the faint echo of the bell in Tran Quocpagoda.
Walking along the small paths around the lake, one cansee the vivid colours of hundreds types of flowers as the lake issurrounded by the three famous flower-growing villages of Nhat Tan,Quang Ba and Nghi Tam.
Hanoi’s lakes, that cover 1,165 ha,play a very important role in regulating the rainfall and preventingfloods during the stormy season.
However, many lakes have been seriously contaminated and encroached by construction sites due to the fast pace of urbanisation.
Thecity’s authorities have carried out a project to improve theenvironment around Hanoi’s lakes and 15 lakes are due to be fullyupgraded this year to catch the grand birthday anniversary of ThangLong-Hanoi./.
With more than 100 lakes of all sizes, Hanoi has more lakes than any other capital city in the world.
Ofall the natural and man-made lakes, Ho Guom or Hoan Kiem lake (Lake ofthe Restored Sword) and Ho Tay (West Lake) are the largest and the mostbeautiful.
The history of Hoan Kiem lake is closely associatedwith the founding history of Thang Long – the country’s former capital,which nowadays is called Hanoi .
The lake used to be called LucThuy Lake or “Green Water Lake” since the water was green all yearround. In the 15 th century, it was named Hoan Kiem lake after thelegend of King Le Thai To and the large tortoise that grabbed his sword.
Thelegend dates back to the time of the Le Dynasty six centuries ago.During the war against the Minh aggressors (1417-1427), King Le Thai Tochanced upon a precious fairy sword. After 10 years of struggles, theKing finally defeated the northern invaders and reclaimed the nation’sindependence. After that, one nice day, while the King was boating onlake Luc Thuy, a large tortoise swam towards him and asked him to returnthe sword. The tortoise grabbed the sword with its mouth and then divedagain.
Hence, King Le Thai To named the lake Hoan Kiem or Lake of the Restored Sword.
Throughthe many ups and downs of history, the lake has remained a green pearlinside the city. Vietnamese, no matter how far they are from home,cannot help but feeling nostalgic about Hoan Kiem lake, where the imageof the old Tortoise Tower is reflected under the pure green, sparklingwater and the beautiful willow trees bend over the lake to see theirreflections in the water.
The vivid and colorful scenery, the redarched The Huc Bridge and Thap But (Pen Tower) have also found theirway into many songs and poems.
Tay Ho (West Lake) in Hanoi, meanwhile, is often described as the most romantic place, resplendent in its beauty and vastness.
Coveringan area of more than 500 hectares, the lake was formerly known as DamDam or Lagoon of Mist, until the 15 th century and a favourite placefor the kings of the Ly, Tran and Le dynasties to rest and relax.
WestLake becomes even most beautiful during the autumn. During thistime, the dew and mist mingle together to make the lake duskier and moreromantic, especially with the faint echo of the bell in Tran Quocpagoda.
Walking along the small paths around the lake, one cansee the vivid colours of hundreds types of flowers as the lake issurrounded by the three famous flower-growing villages of Nhat Tan,Quang Ba and Nghi Tam.
Hanoi’s lakes, that cover 1,165 ha,play a very important role in regulating the rainfall and preventingfloods during the stormy season.
However, many lakes have been seriously contaminated and encroached by construction sites due to the fast pace of urbanisation.
Thecity’s authorities have carried out a project to improve theenvironment around Hanoi’s lakes and 15 lakes are due to be fullyupgraded this year to catch the grand birthday anniversary of ThangLong-Hanoi./.
