Hanoi Holiday Weather today
Date/time of update: November 21, 2024, 1:39 am, Timezone: GMT+7
Clear Sky
Temperature: 21.03°C
Temperature feels like: 20.86°C
Minimum Temperature: 21.03°C
Maximum Temperature: 21.03°C
Atmospheric pressure: 1020hPa
Humidity:64%
Visibility: 10000m
Wind speed: 5.14m/sec
Wind Direction: 50 degrees
Cloudiness: 0%
Sunrise: 2024-11-20 11:10:55
Sunset: 2024-11-21 10:14:07
The West Lake is located in 5km to the north and northwest of Thang Long Ancient Citadel, 6km northwest of the Hoan Kiem Lake. The West Lake is the biggest lake in Hanoi with total area of 520 hectares and the perimeter of the lake is nearly 20km.
Travel Guide to the West Lake, Hanoi
Formation of the West Lake
The West Lake, along with several other lakes in Hanoi, was part of the Red River. The lake formed when the river changed the course. The lake was often referred to as the Lake of Mist (Ho Dam Dam). In 1573 the King’s name was Duy Dam and the Dam Dam Lake Lake was renamed to West Lake to avoid disrespect to the King.
West Lake does not literally mean the lake to the west of the Royal Citadel, or west of the Capital City. It is likely that the West Lake is so named to match another famed spot in China of the same name. This is found in several locales and spots in Vietnam which have the same name to those in China.
In the 17th century, the West Lake (Ho Tay) was again renamed to Doai Ho or Ho Doai. It was because Trinh Lord (Trinh Tac) was appointed to be Tay Vuong (King to the West) and all words related to Tay was renamed to Doai. Doai is one eighth or one sixty-fourth of a circle in Yin-Yang which belongs to the west.
In a Vietnamese legend, the West Lake was the cave of a nine-tailed fog who disturbed local communities and who was killed by Saint Huyen Thien Tran Vu. The cave collapsed and the lake was created. Saint Huyen Thien Tran Vu is worshiped at the Quan Thanh Temple on the southeastern corner of the West Lake. This explains one of the names of the West Lake was Lake of the Fox Carcass (Ho Xac Cao).
Several victims of the fox was released and they settled down at a piece of land to the west of the lake. There are names related to these communities which relates to the word Ho (meaning a fox as well as a lake): Ho Dong – a former rice field (Fox Cave), Ho Thon or Ho Khau (Mouth of a Fox), Cao Dinh (or Xuan Dinh Village)…
The Truc Bach Lake was once part of the West Lake. In the 17th century communities by the lakeside built a road connecting the two sides of the West Lake and the Truc Bach Lake was created.
The West Lake in the Vietnamese History
Since the Ly Dynasty moved the capital city to Thang Long and throughout the successive Tran Dynasty, the West Lake was an entertainment or R&R spot for the royal families. The royal families built some palaces around the lake: Tuy Hoa, Tu Hoa, Ham Nguyen…
A princess under the Ly Dynasty (daughter to Ly Than Tong King) brought along with her several females servants to start a tradition of raising silk worms and weaving silk fabric in Nghi Tam (northeast corner of the lake) and this was once among the biggest silk business centers in Vietnam.
Things to do, Highlights around the West Lake
1/ Spiritual Spots
- Tran Quoc Pagoda;
- Quan Thanh Temple;
- Kim Lien Pagoda;
- Phu Tay Ho (dedicated to Goddess Lieu Hanh), this is especially popular to Hanoians;
- Voi Phuc Pagoda;
2/ Villages
- Nghi Tam and Nhat Tan with flowers, peach blossoms and kumquat trees for Tet (Lunar New Year);
- Xuan La with the once weaving business;
- An Thai with paper making business;
- Ngu Xa with bronze making business;
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