Festival
Culture, traditional festival in Hanoi |
Tea
Best places for enjoying the tea |
|
Uncle Ho’s stilt house
|West Lake – Truc Bach Lake
|Bach Ma temple
| Ha Noi ancient citadel
|
West Lake – Truc Bach Lake
West Lake
West Lake, mirror of Ha Noi, lung of Long town, has over 500 ha in area and is considered the largest of all lakes Ha Noi. The history of its lasted thousands of years. Road surrounding West Lake is 17 kilometers long. It is documented that the lake is a branch of Red river, after that, this river changed course; however, it remained the body of water only west of the river. It is probably that due to the mother nature alteration, there used to be many legends of West Lake as well as legends of its name.
As “Tinh story” has told, West Lake was named lake of Fox’s dead body. It said that long ago, there was a fox with nine tails that caused many deaths and problems on the inhabitants in this area. That is why Long Quan has let water detroy its cave. Consequently, the place it was hiding in was damaged and changed into a lake.
As “Giant man and bell creating work” story has told, this lake was named “Golden buffello”. Once upon a time, there was a giant man. His work was to try and collect all black coins of northern residents to create the bell. Everytime the bell rang, its sound could reach northern area. Now that black coin was regarded as golden mother, golden buffello immediately went to find it. Arriving here, the buffello managed to dig and this place was changed into a lake.
And also, there is another legend. It is rumored that in the eleventh century, this lake was known as a foggy pond. And then it was reffered to with a name “lake on the West”. Then later, people called it Lang Bac, the same name as a great moral battle of The Trung Sisters against Chinese authority in Tien Son, Bac Ninh province.
For a long time, West lake has become a famous landscape. In King Ly, Tran time, there used to be many palaces surrounding this lake. They were put up with purpose of creating a place for vacation or a pleasure place, such as Thuy Hoa in Ly time, Ham Nguyen palace in Tran time (today, in here stands Tran Quoc pegoda), Tu Hoa place in Ly time (now Kim Lien pegoda), Thuy Chuong palace in Le time (now Chu Van An campus).
In peaceful days, boating on the lake is such a great happiness. Doing the same thing has given inspiration to many well-known poets and possibility to create a variety of good poems.
And if taking a walk around West Lake, you have a chance to gaze at plenty of vestiges and landscapes. Among them, Nghi Tam village is known as hometown of Ba Huyen Thanh Quan poetress combined with Kim Lien pegoda which is particularly designed. Moreover, in this place stands Xuan tao village with Soc temple dedicated to worship Thanh Giong, Trich Sai village with Thien Nien pegoda dedicated to worship linh weaving creator, Ke Buoi village with traditional paper producing work, Dong Co temple which was cosidered the place where some government meetings used to take place, Thuy Khuy village with famous Ba Danh in history, and what is more particular is Quan Thanh temple. Some buildings, simultaneously, have just been built to make this lanscape more colorful.
Truc Bach Lake
Truc Bach Lake is seperated with West Lake by Thanh Nien road. This road is built in 1957 – 1958 followed the idea of Uncle Ho. Previously, it was called Co Ngu street and used to be formed from a narrow dyke which was used to divide a West Lake’s corner.
Truc Bach Lake has appeared from the seventeenth century when people in Yen Hoa village (now called Yen Phu) and Yen Quang village (now Quan Thanh street) built a dyke to change a corner of West Lake into a small pond with purpose of breeding fish. From the time when it is seperated, Truc Bach Lake is noted in ancient documents. “Tay Ho Chi” book has mentioned that on the sound of this lake, there is Truc Yen village which is famous for baboo making job. That is because every household in such area grows bamboos. There are so much baboos that makes this place look like a forest. In King Trinh Giang time (1729 - 1740), a palace called Vien Truc Lam was put up to imprison guilty ladies of Royal palace who were later forced to weave silk to earn their living. Hearsay of beautiful, plain silk fabric traveled fast throughout the town under the name “Bamboo village silk”.
Truc Bach lake is surrounded by historical sites and structures. Quan Thanh temple is situated on the southwest corner of the lake. On the east, there is Chau Long pegoda in Chau Long street, which is said to be built in King Tran’s reign and to have been home for a princess, daughter of King Tran Nhan Tong, who led a religious life. Also, there is An Tri temple, which is dedicated to a worship of Uy Do, a hero in a war against Nguyen invaders.
Three sites of Truc Bach is covered by streets and buildings, only a side of Thanh Nien road open to the lake’s serenity and calmness. On northern corner of this lake is a small hillock where Cau Nhi temple is recognizable and there is a story connected with the time when King Ly Cong Uan transfered his capital.
Ly Cong Uan was born in the year of Giap Tuat (974) and transferred his capital in the year of Canh Tuat (1010). And as far as we are concerned, “Tuat” means “year of dog”, one of twelve animals used in lunar calendar. From what has been said in traditional belief, dog is able to expel evil souls and defend the land. Legend has mentioned that some days before Ly Cong Uan moved his capital, a bitch came with purpose of tiding up her place for giving birth on Nung summit. Right in this place, people dedicated a temple called “Chinh Dien Dai” to worship that bitch and its doggie. In following King reign, doggie worship temple was moved to town suburb and erected on the hillock in Truc Lake.
Truc Bach Lake together with Ly Tu Trong park creates a harmonious natural sight and a beautiful lanscape for Ha Noi capital.
(Source: hanoi.gov.vn/hanoiwebs)
|
|
|
