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> West Lake
- Tay Ho Hanoi
This is a big lake in
inner Hanoi covering an area of hundreds of
hectares and the road around it is ten and a half
miles long. Geographers have shown that the lake
was once part of the Red River left behind when
the river changed its course. It is perhaps due to
changes in the courses of rivers and lakes that
there are so many legends about them and their
names. For instance, according to the "Ho Tinh"
story, the lake was named after Xac Cao. The
legend tells that there was a nine-tailed fox
hiding itself in the area with the intention to
harm the people. Long Quan raised the level of the
water in order to destroy the fox's lair. The cave
he occupied collapsed and was turned into the
lake. According to another version, that of the
"Bell Casting Giant," the lake had another name,
"Golden Buffalo." This story tells of a giant
amassing all the black bronze from the north in
order to cast a bell which when struck, would echo
throughout the countryside. Because black bronze
was the mother of gold, the north's golden buffalo
heard the sound and desperately searched for its
mother. It came to this area and repeatedly
trampled upon it to such an extent that the earth
sunk and it became a lake.
According to ancient manuscripts however, this
lake was written into 11th century history as Dam
Dam (Frost Lake) and by the 15th century, it was
called Tay Ho (West Lake) and has long been a site
of interest. Since the Ly-Tran dynasties, kings
built various palaces around the lake as sites of
interest and enjoyment.
When the lake and weather are calm, boating on it
is a delight. On a walk around the lake, one can
see many relics and sites of interest. Nghi Tam
Village (birthplace of the famous poetess, Ba
Huyen Thanh Quan), the Kim Lien pagoda with its
unique architecture and Nhat Tan Village with its
famous garden of peaches are located around the
lake. There is also the Thien Nien pagoda
dedicated to the founder of the art of weaving, Ke
Buoi village with its traditional papermaking,
Dong Co temple, and most striking of all, the Holy
Mandarin Temple.
Today, with a series of newly built hotels around
the lake, its beauty is even more diversified.
Together with Truc Bach Lake, the West Lake
further enriches the poetic nature of inner Hanoi
while at the same time gives the city a source of
fresh fish.
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