Ho Hoan Kiem
@ Hoan Kiem Lake @ Lake of the Returned Sword, Hanoi

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Your base for exploring this destination is the city of Hanoi. For travel information about Hanoi, go to Hanoi Travel Guide. Looking for budget accommodation in Hanoi? Use our Budget Accommodation Guide!

Ho Hoan Kiem, or Lake of the Returned Sword, is the most important lake in Hanoi, Vietnam. Located right at the centre of the city park, Ho Hoan Kiem, or simply Hoan Kiem, is associated with the legend of the restored sword, a "Vietnamese version" of Excalibur. I have gone around the lake at least one every day that I was in Hanoi, and on some days as many as three times! That's because the lake is so central to Hanoi and everything seems to revolve around it.

Fitness-conscious Hanoi folks flood the banks of Ho Hoan Kiem every morning to perform their daily exercises.

There was a legend about how the lake got its name. Originally, the lake was called Ta Vong Lake. The legend dates back to the early 15th century. The country (not yet Vietnam, let's call it the Ho Kingdom, after the Ho Dynasty that ruled it) was conquered by the Ming dynasty Chinese from 1407. Under the Chinese occupation, the Vietnamese suffered greatly. High taxes were imposed and the people hated their occupiers.

One day, a fisherman called Le Tran caught a sword in his net. He passed the sword to the Vietnamese resistance leader, Le Loi. Using this sword, Le Loi fought the Chinese and liberated the country. He crowned himself as King Le Thai To and founded the Le Dynasty (1428-1776).

One day, King Le Thai To was taking a boat on Ta Vong Lake. Suddenly a golden tortoise appeared. The tortoise demanded that King Le Thai To returned the magic sword. When King Le Thai To threw the sword into the lake, the tortoise grabbed it in its mouth and disappeared into the water with it. From then on, the lake was called Ho Hoan Kiem, or Lake of the Returned Sword.

Hoan Kiem is a good place for people watching, as this is where much of Hanoi comes out to play, to jog, to exercise and to romance. For a communist country, Hanoi is far more liberal, and it would not be rare to see couples holding hands and kissing. Visitors should however be wary of pickpockets. My partner Chooi Yoke very nearly had her wallet picked. Luckily she was fast enough and managed to recover her wallet before it was taken away.

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How to go to Ho Hoan Kiem
Ho Hoan Kiem is located in the middle of the city of Hanoi. Find it on a Hanoi map and choose your accommodation to be within walking distance of it.