Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi
I had an impression that Hoan Kiem Lake was big. I don't know what made me think like that. Maybe it's because it was promoted as a tourist attraction. So when I first saw the lake, I gasp "It's so small!". Naturally I was a bit disappointed. But the lake has its beauty. It's the place where the Vietnamese, young and old, gather around during lunch break and after a hard day's work. A nice cosy place to relax and unwind in the middle of the town.
The Turtle Pagoda in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake
The Turtle Pagoda or Thap Rua is a shrine standing on an islet (a very tiny lil islet) in the lake. This pagoda pays homage to a golden turtle. In the 15th century, this heroic reptile is said to have returned a magic sword to its home in the lake after it had been taken.
The lake is totally surrounded with lots of trees. The flowers on the trees are usually red or purple. I like the purple ones.
Beautiful flower trees around Hoan Kiem Lake
My favourite part of the lake is this red bridge. My photo skills are terrible. The photo I took does no justice to the beauty of the bridge. I think this view would look great during the autumn season. It's summer there now and really, really, really HOT.
The Huc, the Bridge of the Rising Sun
The bridge leads to a little 18th century temple, Ngoc Son or Jade Mountain. On the upper section of the tower are three Chinese characters: ta thanh thien (err.. not that I know how to read...), which means that to write on the blue sky, is to imply the height of a genuine and righteous person's determination and will (errr.. actually I don't know if this is the correct translation as I just copied this from the internet...). I didn't get to go into the temple as it was closed when I was there on the 23rd of May. Apparently a lot of places in Hanoi closes on Mondays.
Ngoc Son Temple at the end of the red bridge
I waited for a very long time just to take this picture. Well, I wanted to snap a photo of the entrance without anyone in front of it. I think I was standing there for 15 minutes (or more), all the time wishing that people will go away. I know, terrible of me. And of course my wish was not fulfilled. Finally, I gave up on patience and snap the photo with one Vietnamese lady standing in front. At least it's not a "tourist".
The Turtle Pagoda in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake
The Turtle Pagoda or Thap Rua is a shrine standing on an islet (a very tiny lil islet) in the lake. This pagoda pays homage to a golden turtle. In the 15th century, this heroic reptile is said to have returned a magic sword to its home in the lake after it had been taken.
The lake is totally surrounded with lots of trees. The flowers on the trees are usually red or purple. I like the purple ones.
Beautiful flower trees around Hoan Kiem Lake
My favourite part of the lake is this red bridge. My photo skills are terrible. The photo I took does no justice to the beauty of the bridge. I think this view would look great during the autumn season. It's summer there now and really, really, really HOT.
The Huc, the Bridge of the Rising Sun
The bridge leads to a little 18th century temple, Ngoc Son or Jade Mountain. On the upper section of the tower are three Chinese characters: ta thanh thien (err.. not that I know how to read...), which means that to write on the blue sky, is to imply the height of a genuine and righteous person's determination and will (errr.. actually I don't know if this is the correct translation as I just copied this from the internet...). I didn't get to go into the temple as it was closed when I was there on the 23rd of May. Apparently a lot of places in Hanoi closes on Mondays.
Ngoc Son Temple at the end of the red bridge
I waited for a very long time just to take this picture. Well, I wanted to snap a photo of the entrance without anyone in front of it. I think I was standing there for 15 minutes (or more), all the time wishing that people will go away. I know, terrible of me. And of course my wish was not fulfilled. Finally, I gave up on patience and snap the photo with one Vietnamese lady standing in front. At least it's not a "tourist".
posted by kwazy berry @ 4:19 PM
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