Truc Bach Lake

Situated adjacent to West Lake, in the south of the old Truc Bach Village, present-day Quan Thanh Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. The lake is shielded on three sides by streets full of houses. Only the western side of the lake faces Thanh Nien Road, a place where visitors can admire the calm beauty of the lake.

Truc Bach Lake appeared in the 17th century when people in Yen Hoa Village (now Yen Phu) and Yen Quang Village (now Quan Thanh Street) built a dyke (called Co Ngu) to change a corner of West Lake into a small pond to raise fish.

Like the whole West Lake area, Truc Bach Lake is surrounded by historical sites and structures still displaying their original architecture. Quan Thanh Temple is situated on the southwest corner of the lake. On the east corner, Chau Long Pagoda built in Tran Dynasty was the place where Princess Khiet Co of King Tran Nhan Tong (1279-1293) led a religious life. There is also in Pho Duc Chinh Street An Tri Temple which is dedicated to the worship of Uy Do, a hero in a war against the Yuan invaders. On a small islet in the northern corner of the lake, there was a temple called Cau Nhi. But now the temple no longer stands, it has been replaced by a stele engraved the legend of Cau Nhi Temple.

Visiting Truc Bach Lake, the visitors can enjoy a cup of Trung Nguyen coffee at nearby restaurants, or row on the lake to behold the landscape.

Today, Truc Bach Lake, West Lake and Thanh Nien Road shaded by flamboyant and lagerstroemia trees constitute a harmonious complex of beauty spots that fascinate anyone to Hanoi.