Hoan Kiem Lake - the heart of Hanoi

Hoan Kiem Lake or Sword Lake is not only a symbol of the capital's thousand years of civilization, but also a beautiful landscape that attracts many tourists when traveling to Hanoi. Sword Lake is also known as the "bright pearl" of Hanoi, captivating many writers, poets and tourists from all over the world.

1. Introduction about Sword Lake – symbol of Hanoi
Located in the heart of the city, Hoan Kiem Lake has a wonderful and mysterious beauty and is a destination not to be missed for tourists as well as residents of the capital.

• Address: Hoan Kiem Lake in Hang Trong Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
• Ticket price: Sword Lake ticket price is free, so visitors can freely visit and explore to the fullest.

As one of the tourist attractions in Hanoi that attracts all visitors, Hoan Kiem Lake is the ideal convergence of all 4 seasons from Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. In spring, the blue lake is covered with rows of cherry blossom trees and mausoleum flowers in full bloom, creating a poetic and romantic scene. In the summer, the atmosphere is fresh, the lake is blue, and it is convenient for participating in outdoor sports and recreational activities. When autumn comes, the scenery of Hoan Kiem Lake sparkles with sunlight pouring through the rows of brilliant red phoenix trees, bringing a warm and sweet feeling. In winter, Hoan Kiem Lake becomes covered with fog, creating a quiet and fanciful space.

2. History and Legend of Hoan Kiem Lake

About 6 centuries ago, Hoan Kiem Lake was a distributary of the Red River. In the 16th century, when Lord Trinh repaired the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long for King Le to live in, he built his own palace located next to the Imperial Citadel. Chua Palace became the central authority with lavish architectures such as Ngu Long floor on the east bank of Hoan Kiem Lake and Ta Vong communal house on Ngoc Son island. In 1728, Trinh Giang dug a tunnel south of the lake to build an underground palace called Thuong Tri Palace.

Lord Trinh divided the big lake into two lakes: Huu Vong and Ta Vong. Huu Vong Lake was used to review naval warfare of the imperial court. Until the reign of King Tu Duc (1847-1883), Huu Vong lake was called Thuy Quan lake, and Ta Vong lake was Hoan Kiem lake. Since 1884, during the French colonial period, Thuy Quan lake was filled to expand Hanoi city.

3. Update information about Sword Lake Turtle

Turtle is one of the famous and sacred symbols of Hoan Kiem Lake. The turtle has 4 individuals and 3 individuals have died before. In 2011, there was one individual of Ho Guom tortoise that survived and was called "Old Turtle". When found, "Old Turtle" was picked up to treat his wounds. However, in 2016, the Ho Guom turtle finally died.

4. Hoan Kiem Lake, what's attractive?

With the information introduced about Hoan Kiem Lake above, surely tourists would love to visit the lake to better understand the history as well as have the most complete discoveries. Coming to Hoan Kiem Lake, do not miss the interesting experiences below.

4.1. Ancient architectural and cultural works

Hoan Kiem Lake is a suitable 1-day Hanoi tourist destination for domestic and foreign tourists to explore all the famous historical landmarks and architectural works here:

Turtle Tower: Turtle Tower is a famous architectural work located on a small mound of about 350m2 in the middle of Sword Lake. Turtle Tower is a unique historical and cultural symbol of the Vietnamese capital.
Ngoc Son Temple: Ngoc Son Temple is a temple located on Ngoc Son Island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. The temple was built in the 19th century and is considered an important spiritual and tourist destination of the city.
The Huc Bridge: The Huc Bridge is a symbol of the capital with its distinctive red color and unique design. Visitors often check-in a lot of commemorative photos here.
Hoa Phong Tower: Hoa Phong Tower has an ancient, mossy appearance located next to Hoan Kiem Lake. The tower is considered as a "witness" to the history of the land of thousands of years of civilization.
Ba Kieu Temple: With unique architecture and special historical and cultural values, Ba Kieu Temple is a famous spiritual tourist destination in the capital.
Temple of King Le: As a long-standing historical relic in the heart of the capital, visitors to the temple of King Le can visit and explore the unique architecture of the temple.
Ly Thai To flower garden: Located right next to Hoan Kiem Lake, Ly Thai To flower garden has a statue of Ly Thai To and many green trees.

4.2. Walking Street of Hoan Kiem Lake is crowded and bustling

Hoan Kiem Lake walking street is one of the weekend entertainment places in Hanoi that attracts a lot of people in the capital and tourists from all over the world. Hoan Kiem Lake Walking Street operates from 19:00 to 24:00 in summer and from 18:00 to 24 in winter, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. The pedestrian street consists of 16 routes around Hoan Kiem Lake and is prohibited from traffic. Immersed in the pedestrian street, visitors will feel the hustle and bustle of the activities here. From the street activities to the scene of the people walking in the capital… all appear fun and lively.

4.3. Trang Tien Plaza luxury trade center

Trang Tien Plaza is a high-class Hanoi commercial center where visitors can visit and shop. With modern architecture, and the concentration of many famous brands, Trang Tien Plaza attracts tourists and locals by its luxurious space and the variety of high-class products it brings.

In addition to attracting international visitors, Trang Tien Plaza also contributes to enriching the cultural, business and entertainment atmosphere of Hanoi. The development of this commercial center has contributed to enhancing Hanoi's position as one of the leading shopping destinations in the region.

4.4. Dinh Le Book Street

Dinh Le Book Street is one of the oldest bookstores in Hanoi, located at Dinh Le Street, Hoan Kiem District. With a series of bookshops and bookshops located close together, Dinh Le Book Street attracts book lovers and visitors to explore and search for diverse works of literature, philosophy and knowledge.

Dinh Le Book Street also often hosts cultural activities, workshops and art and cultural events, attracting the participation of both famous authors and lovers of literature. This creates a lively space where literature and knowledge are always brilliant, and contributes to the diverse cultural beauty of Hanoi.

4.5. Thang Long Puppet Theater

Thang Long Puppet Theater is a famous cultural icon in Hanoi. With more than 50 years of performing history, this place offers unique, colorful and close to Vietnamese national traditions.

Thang Long Puppet Theater, with its existing artistic capital, is always the top attraction of Hanoi. Hopefully, coming to Thang Long Puppet Theater, domestic and foreign tourists will have the opportunity to learn and discover the rustic beauty and rich symbolic meaning of Vietnamese water puppetry, as well as the unique cultural traditions of the country.

4.6. Cafes with a good view of Hoan Kiem Lake

Coming to Hoan Kiem Lake, in addition to the above interesting experiences, do not forget to invite your friends to hang out at the cafe with Ho Guom cafes with the top view. Some of the cafes that you must visit are as follows:

• Highland Coffee: No. 1-3-5 Dinh Tien Hoang Street
• Thuy Ta Cafe: No. 1 Le Thai To Street
• L'etage Cafe: No. 9A Hang Khay Street
• Plus Coffee: No. 116 Cau Go
• Old Quarter Cafe: No. 11 Hang Gai Street

5. Interesting places to visit near Sword Lake

5.1. Hanoi Old Quarter

Address: The old town is located near Hoan Kiem Lake, the South borders Hang Bong, Hang Thung, Hang Gai; To the north is Hang Dau street; East of Tran Nhat Duat Street; West of Phung Hung Street.

Hanoi's Old Quarter is home to lovely little streets, traditional old houses and small shops juxtaposed. Hanoi Old Quarter offers a special space where visitors can enjoy the architectural beauty and experience the idyllic and cozy atmosphere of ancient life.

Read more: Hanoi Old Quarter 2023: A Cultural and Historical Treasure

5.2. Hanoi Opera House

Address: No. 1 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem

Hanoi Opera House located not far from Hoan Kiem Lake is the check-in place for many young people. With its unique architecture, it hosts a variety of wonderful arts performances, from musicals and plays to opera and the country's premier arts and cultural events.

5.3. Hoa Lo prision

Address: 01 Hoa Lo, Tran Hung Dao ward, Hoan Kiem

From Hoan Kiem Lake, moving to Hoa Lo Prison is not too far away, but it will definitely leave many impressions for visitors. Visitors will learn, explore the prisons, witness the painful historical vestiges during the fierce war of Vietnam.

5.4. Hang Dau Booth

Hang Dau Booth is an ancient water tower designed in European architectural style. Compared to the "Colosseum", Hang Dau Bot attracts many tourists to visit and check-in.

5.5. Imperial Citadel of Thang Long

The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long contains many cultural and historical values of the thousand-year-old capital. The relic has a quiet and majestic beauty that visitors cannot miss when visiting Hoan Kiem Lake.

6. Pocketing the experience of traveling to Hoan Kiem Lake, having fun and forgetting the way

To have the most fun and complete tour and discovery of Hoan Kiem Lake, you can immediately pocket some of the following experiences:

6.1. What season is beautiful?

Many tourists ask the question: When is the best season to go to Hoan Kiem Lake? In fact, Hoan Kiem Lake is beautiful every season and has features that make visitors fall in love.

Spring brings the sprouting of all things, summer is the green, bustle and hustle of the Capital. In autumn Hanoi, the lake scenery is more attractive and romantic with brilliant yellow branches. In winter, when the cold winds blow, the lake will become quieter and more poetic than ever. However, to be able to travel completely and smoothly, visitors need to update Hanoi weather in general, or the weather of the months you plan to go, for example, Hanoi weather in August, September, October for temperature, precipitation…

Read more: Hanoi weather in September - fall in love with the romantic and love seasons

6.2. Transportation

Traveling to Hoan Kiem Lake has many means of transportation for visitors to choose from. Depending on individual needs as well as whether you travel in groups, in groups, tourists choose a reasonable means of transport. Some of the means you can choose from are:

Taxi Hanoi: Hanoi has many different taxi companies such as: Mai Linh, Thanh Nga, Thang Long ... technology taxi firms such as Grab, Xanh SM ... Taking a taxi, tourists will be assured of the safety as well. like saving time to get to the destination.
Rent a motorbike in Hanoi: Traveling to Hoan Kiem Lake, you can rent a motorbike for convenient transportation but at a low cost.
Bus Hanoi: Hanoi has many different bus routes, so you can choose a bus as your means of transportation.

6.3. Some other notes

In addition to the notes on how to move, specialties or hotels... when coming to Hoan Kiem Lake, don't forget some of the following notes:

1. Keep the environment clean: Please keep the area around the lake clean and do not litter. Visitors' actions will help maintain the natural beauty of Hoan Kiem Lake.
2. Be careful when playing on the street: Hoan Kiem Lake has many small streets and narrow roads, so be careful when walking to avoid accidents or collisions with other pedestrians.
3. When visiting nearby attractions such as Ngoc Son temple, The Huc bridge, visitors should carefully read the guide board to understand the history and cultural significance of each place.
4. Ask for prices before you buy: If you want to shop at stalls or stalls around the lake, ask for the price before you buy to avoid being pressured or buying at a higher price.

Hoan Kiem Lake is the heart of Hanoi Capital, which offers a peaceful space amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. With a cool green lake, green area around the lake and fresh air, Hoan Kiem Lake is an ideal place for locals and visitors to relax, stroll and enjoy the scenery. Especially for first-time travelling to Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake will definitely be a place you can't miss in your trip.

Read more: Introduction to Hanoi: Everything about the capital more than 1000 years old