H HON KIM HOAN KIEM LAKE

Ok, we are standing in Hoan kiem lake

Hoan Kiem Lake (meaning "Lake of the Returned Sword" or "Lake of the Restored
Sword"), also known as Sword Lake), is a lake in the historical center of Hanoi, the
capital city of Vietnam. The fact is that the area surrounding the lake is often
affectionately referred to as Bo Ho (Lake Shore). Whenever I want to hang out
with my friend near the lake, I just text Bo Ho or the Lake to them. It means that
these names are widely recognized in HN. The lake is one of the major scenic
spots in the city and serves as a focal point for its public life.
Hoan Kiem Lake in the past
Hanoi has been the capital city for almost a thousand years. Ly Thai To founded
the city in 1010, calling it Thang Long (ascending dragon) after seeing a dragon
rise to the sky as he sailed up the Red River.
As the city grew, the Citadel became the center of administration, but the people of
Hanoi lived and worked around Hoan Kiem Lake, in the part of the city now known
as the Old Quarter. It is here that the craft guilds set up their workshops to meet
the needs of the mandarins and the wealthy, as well as the artisans and poorer
members of society.
The lake was linked to the To Lich River, which in turn flowed into the Red River
enabling small boats to come into the center of the city. Naval exercises took place
in its waters and the main access to the surrounding temples was by boat. The
lake area was not as clearly defined as today and around its green waters was a
marshy area of villages and temple complexes, linked by narrow roads and
wooden bridges. The lake was a source of fish, with rice, fruit and vegetables
grown in the fertile soil. In the past, the life of the city was in the lake, whereas now
it flows around it.
Ly Thai To, the King who founded the city so long ago, stands large and proud in
the park named after him, looking towards the lake from the east. Others who
have played an important part in the history of both Vietnam and Hanoi are
recognized in the temples and pagodas around the lake.
However, the most important of these is Le Loi, who became king Le Thai To in
1428 and founder of the Le dynasty. It is his legend that gives the lake its name
The Lake of the Returned Sword. A small statue of Le Loi looks towards the lake
from a tall pillar on the west side.
Hoan Kiem Lake today
Both Vietnamese and foreign visitors to Hanoi are drawn to the area around Hoan
Kiem Lake. A picturesque oasis in the middle of a busy city, the lakeside is
attractive for walking, exercising, socialising and relaxing. It is also a key area for
the business, cultural, social and religious events of the people of Hanoi. Early in
the morning, even in winter, it is a place of activity when groups of men and
women come together to practice Tai Chi, often with large bright red fans. Others
may be jogging or walking. Ho Chi Minh stressed the importance of physical
exercise to keep the body and mind healthy. A smattering of foreigners, also
enjoying exercise in the early morning air, often joins Hanoi residents. As you stroll
around the lake later in the day, you will see chess games in progress, lovers
sitting side by side, elderly men drinking tea while chatting or reading, tourists both
foreign and local, admiring the sights, and people praying. During the time of the

war between Vietnam and the United States, Hanoi was bombed. Underground
shelters were built, allowing people to open the round lids and drop down to safety.
The lake itself is like a living thing with a personality that changes continuously
with the hour and the season. By day, the intense green color of the water, caused
by copper deposits in the ground under the lake, blends with the profusion of trees
shading the grassy borders. After dark the lake takes on a magical appearance,
with the lights on Turtle Tower joining those from surrounding buildings. It is late
into the night before the roads and walkways around Hoan Kiem Lake become
quiet and empty.
Now, do you enjoy reading historical Legend, I will tell you one related to the lake:
Of the many legends and stories told about Emperor L Li, the most famous
concerns his magical sword. It was during Le Lois revolt against Ming China, a
fisherman, who later joined L Lis army, caught the blade of the sword in his net.
The hilt was found by L Li himself in a banyan tree. The Legend tells that the
blade of the sword, inscribed with the words The Will of Heaven, came from the
Dragon King in his underwater palace. Since Le Loi had the sword, the army
became stronger and stronger, and finally got the victory. One day, not long after
Le Loi finished fighting off the Ming China, L Li was out boating on the lake
when a Golden Turtle God (Kim Qui) surfaced and asked for his magic sword,
Heaven's Will. Later, Le Loi gave the sword back to the turtle and the turtle dived
back into the depths, carrying the glowing sword in his mouth. After that, Le Loi
renamed the lake to commemorate this event, from its former name Luc Thuy
meaning "Green Water". The Turtle Tower (Thap Ra) standing on a small island
near the centre of lake is linked to the legend.
Related places:
N NGC SN, CU TH HC, THP BT, I NGHIN NGOC SON
TEMPLE, THE HUC BRIDGE, PEN TOWER, INK SLAB: Near the northern shore
of the lake lies Jade Island on which the Temple of the Jade Mountain (Ngoc Son
Temple) stands. The temple was erected in the 18th century. It honors the 13thcentury military leader Tran Hung Dao who distinguished himself in the fight
against the Yuan Dynasty, Van Xuong, a scholar, and Nguyen Van Sieu, a
Confucian master and famous writer in charge of repairs made to the temple in
1864.
Den Ngoc Son, or the Temple of the Jade Mountain is one of Hanois most
picturesque temples. It is built on an islet in Ho Hoan Kiem where, in the 16th-18th
centuries, there was a country villa used by the Trinh mandarins when they boated
on the lake. In the 19th century, the site became a Buddhist pagoda, then a temple
for the cult of a deified Chinese warrior, Quan Cong, and later for the Spirits of
Literature and of the Soil. This shrine is now dedicated to Tran Hung Dao, a 13th
century Vietnamese military national hero, scholar Van Xuong, and to Nguyen Van
Sieu, a Confucian master who assumed responsibility for extensive additions and
repairs made to the temple and the surrounding areas from 1864. The present
building reflects the Chinese style favored by the Nguyen rulers of that time. To get
to the temple, the visitor walks through the Three-Passage Gate (Tam Quan) and
across the Morning Sunlight Bridge (The Huc). The entrance complex, designed
by Nguyen Van Sieu, consists of a series of three gates, replete with Taoist
symbolism.
The first gate displays a series of parallel sentences. The two large red Chinese
characters on the first gate are Happiness on the right, and Prosperity on the left.

Conditions of a good life, very important to Vietnamese, are Happiness (Phuc),

Prosperity (Loc) and Long Life (Tho).
Just inside the first gate is the Pen Tower (THP BT I NGHIN): From
18591862, first provincial judge Nguyn Nh Ct and then Phng nh Nguyn
Vn Siu played an important part in collecting funds to rebuild Ngc Sn Temple
as a continuous structure similar to what stands today. Passing through the gate,
there is a five-storey stone tower on the left with a top shaped like a pen nib
pointing toward the sky. There are three characters, T thanh thin (Writing on the
Blue Sky), on the side of the tower. Across from the Pen Tower is the Ink Slab
support and an arched gate with a slab of stone carved in the shape of a peach
half above it. This is a unique feature and is compared to another famous relic in
Hanoi, the Temple of Literature where the doctoral steles were placed on the
backs of tortoises. Since their creation, the Pen Tower and the Ink Slab have
become sacred symbols relating to the national literature and university
examinations to discover talented people. Across from this slab is Th Hc (Light
of Dawn) Bridge with c Nguyt Lu (Moon Viewing Tower) at the end along with
the Trn Ba (Preventing Waves from Crashing) Pavilion.
The second gate is surrounded by Taoist symbols. On the left is the tiger. On the
right is the Vietnamese dragon. The tiger and the dragon are the symbols of
stability for a large construction, following the feng shui theory. Panels on the
reverse of the gate show the carp gazing at the moons reflection, and a pine tree
with roosting storks (phoenix), which symbolizes longevity.
Above the third gate is a large stone representing an ink stone or inkpot. Nguyen
Van Sieu placed this stone so that on the 5th of May (lunar calendar) the shadow
of the Pen Tower falls on the ink stone. Why this date? There are 120 stars in the
Chinese/Vietnamese Taoist horoscope. One of these is represented by Van
Xuong, the saint responsible for literature. On May 5, Van Xuongs star crosses the
suns trajectory. A quote from Nguyen Van Sieu is written on the white scroll in the
center of the gate. The scroll is surrounded by bats symbolizing happiness (the
word for bat in Chinese is phuc which means happiness in Vietnamese).
Jade Island is connected to the shore by the wooden red-painted THE HUC
BRIDGE (meaning Morning Sunlight Bridge). The Huc Bridge was built in 1865.
The bridge includes 15 spans, 32 timber columns arranged in 16 pairs, with the
parquet bridge deck, dark red banisters and golden words The Huc. The Huc
Bridge headed east, toward the sunrise to integrally catch that oxygen source. The
red of the bridge symbolizes the color of life, of sources of happiness, of the desire
for life transmitted from ancient times until now - The Huc bridge - a symbol of the
sun god.
After crossing the bridge, we come to the fourth gate. Above this gate is a small
room with circular windows, called the Moon Gazing Pavilion. Surrounding the
gate are typical Taoaist I Ching symbols of watching and protecting. The dragonhorse is on the right, carrying the eight I Ching symbols for the eight elements on
its back, and a yin yang mirror to send back evil spirits. All the Taoist wisdom was
imparted in a dream to the ancient king of China by a tortoise I Ching, feng shui,
yin yang in other words, a unified theory for everything. The tortoise, seen on the
left, carrying a book and a sword on its back, as well as being a Taoist symbol, in
Confucian belief indicates that military might and knowledge must go together.
Ngoc Son Temple exemplifies the harmony of Taoist feng shui. It is surrounded by
water, which directs energy toward the temple. The temple is dedicated to General
Tran Hung Dao, who defeated the Mongols in the 13th century, and the scholar

and saint of literature Van Xuong. To the left of the main temple is a side room
containing the preserved body of a giant soft backed turtle (rafetus leloii). This
turtle is 2.1 meters long, 1.2 meters wide, and weighed 250kg. It was found in
1968 and was said to be 500 years old. This gives credence to the legend about
the giant turtle, which took the magic sword of Le Loi in the 15th century. One or
more large turtles still inhabit the lake. At any time of the day people will be seen
looking into its waters, hoping to catch sight of a giant turtle, as it is considered a
sign of good luck to glimpse the head rising above the water. Smaller turtles are
also seen. These have been set free to bring good fortune to the giver.