Hoan Kiem Lake

Location: Hoan Kiem Lake is located in the center of Ha Noi.

Characteristic: Hoan Kiem Lake also called Lake of the Restored Sword. The name Lake of the Restored Sword is derived from a legend.

Legend of Restored Sword Lake

After ten years of hard fighting (1418 - 1428), the Lam Son insurrectionists led by Le Loi swept the foreign invaders out of the country of Dai Viet (Great Viet), ending the Ming's 20-year domination over the Viet people. Le Loi became a national hero, proclaiming himself kings, called Le Thai To and establishing his capital in Thang Long.

 

On a beautiful afternoon, the king and his entourage took a dragon-shaped boat for sight-seeing on Luc Thuy (Green Water) Lake, which was located in the centre of Thang Long Capital (present-day Ha Noi). As the boat was gliding on the lake, suddenly there was a great wave and on top of the wave, the Golden Tortoise Genie appeared, telling the king: "Your Majesty, the great work is completed. Would you please return the sacred sword to the King of the Sea?".

 

The precious sword was formerly lent to Le Loi by the King of the Sea and was always beside him throughout his battles and helped him win over the Ming invaders. At the time the Tortoise Genie spoke, the sword hung at the King's waist. It then moved out of the scabbard and flew towards the Genie. The Genie kept the sword in his mouth and dived under the water and bright lightning flashed up to the sky. Since then, Luc Thuy Lake has been called the Restored Sword Lake or the Sword Lake for short.

 

 

Ideal destination of the capital

The Sword Lake is not only a historical site but also a beauty-spot of the capital. When visiting Ha Noi, Ludemis, a Greek poet, exclaimed: The Sword Lake - An emerald jewel set in the heart of the city, With the Red River as a silk ribbon around.

It is said that when visiting Ha Noi, if the visitor does not see the Sword Lake, then they would not have actually been in Ha Noi. The lake is an endless topic and inspiration for painters, poets, writers, music composers, etc, and innumerable works about the lake have been produced.

 

Once, a famous Japanese painter said to the late-painter Van Giao that he had painted dozens of pictures of Mount Fuji - the second to none beauty spot of Japan. Then painter Van Giao replied by saying that he had painted hundreds of pictures of the Sword Lake.The Sword Lake is really an emerald jewel of Ha Noi. For generations, the Vietnamese believed that deep in the green water of the Sword Lake, there is a sacred sword of their ancestors, which is carefully safeguarded by the golden tortoise. When the weather changes, the tortoise emerges on the water surface to take a sun bath, seeming to prove his existence and remind the young generation of their national history of defending their country from foreign invaders.

 

Attractions around the Lake

There are several rare relics around Hoan Kiem Lake. To the east is Hoa Phong Tower, and King Ly Thai To Statue; to the west is King Le Thai To Statue and his Memorial House; the north-east is Ba Kieu Temple, But Tower (pen-shaped tower), The Huc Bridge connecting with Ngoc Son Temple.

ALBUM
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Long Bien Bridge

Ha Noi Capital

Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam

Ha Noi Capital

Ma May Ancient House

Ha Noi Capital

Viet Nam Women's Museum

Ha Noi Capital

Old Quarter

Ha Noi Capital

WHERE TO STAY
Hung Hiep Hotel

Add: 6C Duong Thanh St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3828 4922

Phuong Bac Hotel

Add: 5 Tam Thuong lane, Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3828 5030

A Dong Hotel

Add: 5 Cua Dong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 8269 007

Hang Nga Hotel

Add: 18 Hang Hom St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3828 5385

Cuu Long I Hotel

Add: 6 Dinh Ngang St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3823 3541/3934 9741

TIME Hotel

Add: 6 Cau Go St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3825 9498

Continental Hotel

Add: 24 Hang Vai St., Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi

Tel: (84-24) 3828 2897

Anh Trung Hotel

Add: 33 Hang Quat St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3826 9386

Co Dien Hotel

Add: 49 Luong Ngoc Quyen St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3826 6224

Thang Long Hotel

Add: 52 Cau Go St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3824 5712

Ngoc Mai II Hotel

Add: 7 Cua Dong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3828 6236

Bong Hong Hotel

Add: 56 Ngo Huyen St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3826 0471

Hoang Anh Hotel

Add: 34 Nam Ngu St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3824 5061

Hoang Cuong Hotel

Add: 15 Nguyen Thai Hoc St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3826 9927

Thuy Lam Hotel

Add: 17B Hang Ga St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3825 0468

Bao Long Hotel

Add: 39 Hang Be St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3824 0434

Thuy Nga Hotel

Add: 24 Ta Hien St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3826 6053

Melody Hotel

Add: 17 Hang Duong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 8267 820

Nguyen Viet Hotel

Add: 22 Cua Dong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3846 8525

Hoang Ngoc Hotel

Add: 34 Hang Manh St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3828 5053

WHERE TO EAT
Thuy Ta Restaurant

Add: 6 Le Thai To St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3828 6290

Nam Phuong Restaurant

Add: 19 Phan Chu Trinh St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3824 0926

Paradise Restaurant

Add: 19 Han Thuyen St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3824 7697

Nang Tam Vegetarian Restaurant

Add: 79A Tran Hung Dao St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3942 4140

Verandah Restaurant

Add: 9 Nguyen Khac Can St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3825 7220

A Little Italian Restaurant

Add: 3 - 4, TT4, My Dinh apartment block, Song Da

Tel: (84-24) 3787 6969

Mother

Add: 6C Phan Chu Trinh St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3826 2168

Khazaana Indian Restaurant

Add: 1C Tong Dan St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3934 3513

Tandoor Restaurant

Add: 24 Hang Be St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3824 5359/ 3824 2252

Avalon Restaurant

Add: 73 Cau Go St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3926 0801

Viet Thai Restaurant

Add: 4 Nam Ngu St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3942 0812

Hoa Long Restaurant

Add: 92 - 94 Hang Trong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3826 8542

Le Beaulieu Restaurant

Add: Sofitel Metropole Hotel - 15 Ngo Quyen St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3826 6919 (ext. 8206)

La Salsa Restaurant

Add: 25 Nha Tho St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3828 9052

Press Club Restaurant

Add: 59A Ly Thai To St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3934 0888

Le Petit Bruxelles Restaurant

Add: 58B Tran Quoc Toan St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3942 5958

La Verticale Restaurant

Add: 19 Ngo Van So St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3944 6317

Uu Dam Vegetarian Restaurant

Add: 34 Hang Bai St., Hoan Kiem Dist

Tel: (84-24) 098 134 9898

Hanoi Hanoi Restaurant

Add: 43 Trang Tien St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3936 7688 / 3936 7698

Angelia Restaurant

Add: 56 Ly Thai To Str., Hoan Kiem Dist.

Tel: (84-24) 3938 6999