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On my last evenings of the second trip to Hanoi, I discovered that I never cross the Rising-Sun Bridge (Thê Húc Kiều) to visit Ngọc Sơn Temple in the Restored Sword Lake. Once in town, we always looked for some remote destinations to go, and forgot a famous place less than 100 meters from the hotel.

So, this is the shot I snapped at late hour when I should not… the hour to relax, to drop off equipment, to show some care to others…

“So come on baby, comb your hair
And hope the streets will lead us where
Everybody will know just what we both need
And we may never be this young again
Half my life has been misspent
Remember how I used to be and my energy
And we may never feel this way again
Lets not waste the time we have left…”
(Boo Radleys)

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Geologists believe that the lake was once part of the Red River left behind when the river changed its course to where it is today. The change of the river's course took place a thousand years ago but it was named Restored Sword (Hoàn Kiếm) only five centuries ago. In the past the lake was called Lục Thủy (Blue Water) because the water remained blue throughout the four seasons. By the 15th century, however, the lake had acquired its name, "Restored Sword" through the following legend.

When Lê Lợi lived in Lam Sơn village, he received a sword that he used and always kept with him during the ten years of war against the Ming invaders. After he had defeated the enemy, he returned to Thăng Long (Flying Dragon) where one day while boating on Blue Water Lake, two turtles suddenly emerged on the surface. He took out his sword and pointed it at them but they snatched the sword and took it underwater. Lê Lợi thought that God had given him the sword to fight against the Ming and now that the enemy had been defeated, God had taken it back. The King changed the lake's name to Hoàn Kiếm (the Restored Sword Lake).

Around 1738, Lord Trịnh Giang set up Khánh Thủy Hall on a pearl island where he used to enjoy the summer breezes. By the 19th century, a pagoda dedicated to Buddha had been built on the Khánh Thủy Hall's grounds. Later this pagoda was turned into a temple dedicated to Văn Xương, a legendary figure who was the protector of literature and examinations, and to Trần Hưng Đạo, a Vietnamese hero who had defeated the Yuan invaders in the 13th century. In the temple, there is a statue of Quan Vũ, en elite general of the Thục Hán dynasty of China who was famous for his loyalty and a statue of La To, famous for his practice of medicine.

In 1865, Nguyễn Văn Siêu, one of Hanoi's great cultural figures, took responsibility for the repairs of the entire area. On Doc Ton Hill, he had a stone tower built in the shape of a writing brush. On the tower's body, he had engraved three words "Tả Thanh Thiên" which mean writing on the blue sky.

Passing through Bút (Pen) Tower, you come to Nghiên (Ink) Tower, a curved gate on which a half-peach shaped inkstone was placed. On the Nghiên Tower, there is a story engraved telling of the usefulness of the inkstone in terms of its philosophy. After the Nghiên Tower is the Húc Bridge (the place where morning sunlight focuses). The other end of the bridge is the waiting-for-the-moon house (Đắc Nguyệt Lầu) which is also the Ngọc Sơn Temple's gate. The temple has three main buildings; the front one is for reading prayers, the middle dedicated to Văn Xương and the last dedicated to Trần Hưng Đạo. Looking from a distance in the lake's southwest corner is Turtle Tower. This was built at the end of the 16th century and has no historical or aesthetic value, but because it has stood here for so many centuries, it has become significant to the people of today. (Source)

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