Talking about Hoan Kiem Lake, there’re a large number of names to call it, Guom lake , Sword lake, Lake of the Returned Sword, Luc Thuy lake… Located in the centre of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem lake is surrounded by Dinh Tien Hoang, Le Thai To and Hang Khay street.
According to the legend, emperor Le Loi handed a magic sword called Heaven’s Will which brought him victory in his revolt against the Chinese Ming Dynasty back to the Golden Turtle God (Kim Quy) in the lake and hence gave it its present name (the lake was formerly known as Luc Thuy meaning “Green Water”. The Tortoise Tower standing on a small island near the centre of lake is linked to the legend.
It’s interesting when Tourist walk around Guom lake in early morning, the lake is very near the old quarter so it’s confident for tourist when take a city tour around Hanoi.