Overview
The legend is that a fifteenth-century emperor was given a magic sword to drive out the Ming, and that a golden turtle rose from this lake afterwards to take it back. Giant softshell turtles did live here, and the last of them died in 2016 and is preserved in the temple on the island, which gives the story an unusually literal anchor. The lake is the hinge between the Old Quarter to the north and the French colonial grid to the south.
Highlights
The streets around the lake close to traffic from Friday evening to Sunday night, which is when the city comes out to walk. Ngoc Son Temple on the island is a small ticket and holds the preserved turtle. Come at six in the morning to see the exercise classes, which is the most Hanoi thing there is.