Hoan Kiem Lake - The heart of Ha Noi

Hoan Kiem lake is the spiritual heart of the city, related to the legendary story about the name Hoan Kiem, and reminds the traditional education and the dedication of General Tran Hung Dao.

Hoan Kiem lake

Hoan Kiem is located in the middle of one of the busiest streets of Vietnam capital that attracts many visitors from locals to foreigners to explore the beauty of Vietnam. Hoan Kiem Lake is a legendary spot,and is the heart of Ha Noi, which makes it outstanding among many other lakes in the North of Vietnam.

Legend tells that the Heaven King sent Emperor Ly Thai To a magical sword, which he used to fight against Chinese colonization and got his distinguished victory. After the war, Ly Thai To go to this Lake and returned the magical sword to a giant turtle, which grabbed the sword and disappeared into the depths of this lake to restore the sword to its original owners. Due to the faithful and inspired story, the locals name the lake is “Ho Hoan Kiem”, which means “Lake of the Restored Sword”.

turtle tower

In the center of the lake, there is a small island with an ancient building called the “Turtle Tower”, which is in memory the legend. The island is known as Jade island, accessible by the iconic Huc Bridge or Rising Sun Bridge.The bridge is a charming icon itself with scarlet-painted wooden material. Crossing through Huc Bridge, Ngoc Son Temple appears to your eyes. Built in 18th century, Ngoc Son temple is dedicated to war hero General Tran Hung Dao, who defeated an armed force of 300,000 soldiers sent by Mongolian Emperor Kublai Kham om the 13th century to invade Vietnam. Inside the temple, there are altars dedicated to Tran Hung Dao, some ancient artefacts includings ceramics and a preserved specimen of a gian turtle once found weighing 250kg.

The Huc Bridge

Tourists can visit Hoan Kiem Lake and the Turtle Tower from Fridays to Sundays because the traffic is banned from the area from 7PM to midnight. Therefore, you can walk around and enjoy peaceful coffee and that would be great to blend in the locals life.