West Lake
A sizeable lake in inner Hanoi, it covers an area of five hundred hectares. The road fringing the lake is 17 kilometres long. Geograhers have shown that West Lake was once a part of the Red River transformed into a lake when the river changed its course. Perhaps, owing to this change of course, many legends have been handed down connected with the lake and its name. For instance, according to the "Ho Tinh" story, the lake was called "Xac Cao" because there was a nine - tailed fox hiding itself here to cause harm to the people. Long Quan, the God of Waters, raised the level of the waters to destroy the fox’s lair; the cave it occupied collapsed and was turned into a lake. According to the legend of "Khong Lo casting a bell", the lake was called "Gold Buffalo": Khong Lo had the power to attract all the black bronze from the North; he used it to cast a bell. The bell’s sound echoed far and wide, and spread northwards, it was heard by a Gold Buffalo. Because black bronze is the mother of gold, the Northern Gold Buffalo followed the sound of the bell to look for its mother.
When it arrived at this area, it trampled upon the ground and the earth sunk, this place thus became the lake. According to ancient manuscripts, in the 11th century, the lake was referred to under the name of Dâm Đàm (Foggy Lake). In the 15th century, it was called Tay Ho (West Lake); it also had another name, "Lang Bac Lake". Since the days of old, the Lake has been considered as a place of scenic beauty. Under the Ly and Tran Dynasties, Kings and Lords built many palaces around the lake to be used as summer resorts: Thuy Hoa Palace, under the Ly Dynasty, was later named Ham Nguyen Palace under the Tran and it is now the area of Tran Quoc. Tu Hoa Palace, built under the Ly, which has become Kim Lien Pagoda and the Thuy Chuong Palace, built under the Le, in the place which is now the area of Chu Van An School.
In calm weather, boating on the Lake brings an unforgettable experience and great pleasure. Many poets have composed famous poems extolling the beauty of West Lake.
If you stroll along the road round the lake, you can find many sites and places of interest: Nghi Tam village, the birth place of the wife of the Thanh Quan, also famous for Kim Lien Pagoda and its original architecture; Nhat Tan village with each of its trees blossoming in spring, a place where, according to the legend, Lac Thi, under Hong Bang’s reign, gave birth to a membrane bag of eggs which hatched seven dragons; Xuan Tao village with Soc Temple dedicated to Giong genius; Trich Sai village with Thien Nien Pagoda worshipping a lady, patron saint of the trade of satin weaving; Ke Boi village which has a tradition of paper - making and Đong Co Temple where an oath - taking ceremony used to be held by the mandarins of the Ly court; and Thuy Khue village with its famous Ba Đanh Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple. A number of newly - built hotels are also adding to the beauty of the lake.
Truc Bach Lake
This lake is separated from West Lake by Thanh Nien Road that was built only in 1957 - 1958. At first, it was called Co Ngu, and was a narrow dyke separating one corner of West Lake. Truc Bach lake actually came into being in the 17th century, when the inhabitants of Yen Hoa village (now Yen Phu village) and Yen Quang village (now at one end of Quan Thanh street) built a dyke in the south east corner of West Lake in order to raise fish. Hence the name Co Ngu or reinforcement was given to it. Once it has been built, it has sometimes been referred to in old books. For example in a book entitled Tay Ho Chi, we are told that south of the lake was Trung Yen village, which grew bamboo-trees near the houses. In the reign of Trinh Giang (1729 - 1740), Truc Lâm Palace was built here as a pleasure house and then later, it was converted into a prison for the custody of ladies of the Royal palace who were found guilty of some crime. These ladies had to weave silk for their subsistence. Their silk fabric was so beautiful that it became famous throughout the capital under the name of Truc village silk.
Like the whole West Lake area, Truc Bach Lake is surrounded by historical sites and structures still displaying their original architecture. Quan Thanh Temple is situated on the south westerner corner of the lake. On the east, there is Chau Long Pagoda in Chau Long street, which is said to have been built in King Tran Nhan Tong’s reign and to have been the home to a princess who led a religious life. There is also An Tri Temple, which is dedicated to the worship of Uy Đo, a hero in a war against the Yuan invaders, and is situated in Pho Đuc Chinh street.
Three sides of West Lake are lined by streets, only the side of Thanh Nien Road remains open to a lake view. It is here that one can admire the calm beauty of Truc Bach Lake, which is different from West Lake where you can see rough waters from time to time. On the northern corner of the Lake, a few meters from Thanh Nien Road, there is a small hillock where Temple Cau Nhi can be found. This is a small temple but its story is connected with the time when King Ly Công Uan transferred his capital to Thang Long. The King was born in the year of Giap Tuat (974), and he transferred his capital in the year of Canh Tuat (1010), "Tuat" means "the year of the Dog". According to traditional belief, the dog can drive away demons and evil spirits and protect the land. Legend has it that some days before the transfer of the capital to Thang Long, a female dog was seen making her way to the summit of Nung Mount to lie down. When the King came to Thang Long and was informed of this, he considered it to be an auspicious event,and on the summit of Nung Mount, which he called "Chinh Đien Đai", the King ordered a temple to be built dedicated to the young dog. A temple dedicated to the Mother dog was built on Khan Mount. In the following king’s reign, Cau Nhi Temple was erected on the hillock on the Truc Bach Lake side, but now the temple no longer stands, it has been replaced by a plaque which has this story engraved upon it.
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