Ho Tay

Ho Tay, the West Lake of Hanoi (3 September 2006)


Ho Tay, or West Lake, is the largest lake in Hanoi. Popularly known as the Lake of Mists, Ho Tay is created wjem Song Hong, the Red River, changed its course. During mediaval times, kings as well as warlords had their palaces built on its banks. In more recent times - the 90's - the lakeside saw the sprouting of villas, hotels and restaurants, often of tactless design.

There is a legend connected to Ho Tay, about a strange beast that terrorised the people in the area. The beast was killed by the Dragon King who unleashed a torrent of water to drown it, and in the process created Ho Tay. I explored the banks of Ho Tay by hiring a taxi from Hanoi. It turned out to be a very expensive exercise - I have a feeling that the taxi driver fleeced me with a dubious meter. So take that as a lesson, should you consider Ho Tay by taxi. I would recommend that you get your hotel to call a taxi for you than to simply hail one from the streets.

Getting there

The most straightforward way to reach Ho Tay is from Ba Dinh Square (where the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is located). Just head north alontg Hung Vuong, and that will take you to Ho Tay.

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.