Temples and Dragons: A Walking Tour of Hanoi’s Hoàn Kiếm Lake and its History

(61 reviews)

Hanoi audio tour: Temples and Dragons: A Walking Tour of Hanoi’s Hoàn Kiếm Lake and its History

This is a 1.2mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Hanoi

Vietnam

$7.99

Access all 30 locations offline with the VoiceMap app

Buy for a Group

Reviews

About the Tour

What do a mythical turtle, the Statue of Liberty, and the military strategist that bested Kublai Khan (twice!) have in common? You’ll soon find out on this walking tour of the area around Hanoi’s Hoàn Kiếm Lake. I’ve stitched together a series of vignettes – some mythological and some historical – to help you peel back the layers of the city’s millennium-long history.

Our tour starts at Emperor Lý Thái Tổ Monument Statue, where I’ll tell you about the dragon that supposedly swooped overhead in approval when the emperor moved the imperial capital here. You’ll go on to hear the legend of the lake reclaiming a divine saber that repelled northern invaders and learn about the herd of mythical beasts, including dragons, unicorns, and phoenixes, that have made their home close to its waters.

You’ll pass the ruins of Hoà Phong Tower, a sad and lonely remnant of the expansive Báo Ân Pagoda, which was obliterated by the French to make way for a post office. You’ll also gaze at St Joseph Cathedral’s neo-gothic spires and, towards the end of the tour, traverse the gates of Ngọc Sơn Temple, a popular site that’s located on an islet in the northern part of the lake.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

Wander streets in central Hanoi’s most important neighborhoods, including the French Quarter, the Old Quarter, and Hoàn Kiếm district
Learn about Vietnam’s most important mythical beasts and decode artwork at temples and pagodas
Understand the difference between Vietnam’s major religious buildings, including temples, pagodas, churches, and community houses
Discover a few of Hanoi’s quirks, including the spot where communist revolutionary Hồ Chí Minh overlooks a McDonald’s, a gigantic pen that writes on the sky, and a totally inappropriate Statue of Liberty
Get your head around Vietnam’s complicated history, from Chinese threats and French colonialism, to legendary kings and strategic geniuses

By the end of this 60-minute tour, you’ll have a deeper appreciation of this layered city. You’ll also have the tools to explore on your own after the tour – from identifying which alleyway you want to explore, to knowing where to have your next meal or coffee.

Tour Producer

Joshua Zukas

6 tours

I value depth over breadth, which is why I write almost exclusively about Vietnam—a country I’ve called home for more than a decade.

Why Vietnam? Because I love a good story, and Vietnam is teeming with them. Some are mythological, others grounded in historical fact, but most inhabit that compelling grey space in between. I draw on these narratives whenever possible in my work, whether writing guidebooks for Lonely Planet, Fodor’s and Hardie Grant, or features for The Economist, Wallpaper, Business Insider, The Michelin Guide and others. I’m also the author of Bradt’s Vietnam, the most in-depth guide to the country currently on the market. I hold a BA in Southeast Asian Studies, specialising in Vietnam, and an MSc in Sustainable Tourism.

My VoiceMap walking tours offer more than an introduction to Vietnam’s complex history. They bring to life the stories hiding in plain sight, lead you down alleyways you might otherwise pass by, and introduce you to street food spots that most tourists never find.

Preview Location

Location 20

Ngoc Son Temple and Tran Hung Dao

Once you hit the lake, you'll see a bushy islet out on the water in front of you behind the lakeside trees. You might also be able to make out a few small structures poking out above the treetops, as well as the Vietnamese flag. This is Đền Ngọc Sơn, or Ngọc Sơn Temple.

Tur... Once you hit the lake, you'll see a bushy islet out on the water in front of you behind the lakeside trees. You might also be able to make out a few small structures poking out above the treetops, as well as the Vietnamese flag. This is Đền Ngọc Sơn, or Ngọc Sơn Temple.

Turn left and walk around the lake with the traffic on your left while I talk about the temple.

Remember before when I mentioned the three main types of traditional religious buildings in Vietnam? This is the second type, the đền, meaning it is dedicated to gods and deified humans. This temple has been a place of worship for at least seven centuries, and it has collected a number of idols over the years, one of whom is Trần Hưng Đạo.

Trần Hưng Đạo was a 13th-century hero who thwarted not just one, but two Mongol invasions. Of all the tales of war from Vietnam's protracted and embattled history, his might be my favorite. By the 1280s, the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, had conquered all of China and had his sights set on Vietnam. He first invaded in 1283 or 4, but Trần Hưng Đạo, the commander-in-chief of the Vietnamese army, roused his forces and pushed back the attack.

When Kublai Khan tried again in 1287, Trần Hưng Đạo decided to play the long game. The story goes that he knew that his forces couldn't defeat the Mongols on land or at sea, so he gave ground and allowed them to occupy the capital. The following year he engaged the Mongol fleet on the Bạch Đằng River near present-day Hai Phong, less than 100 kilometers east of Hanoi. Trần Hưng Đạo instructed his forces to imbed the riverbed with hundreds of iron-tipped spears. At high tide, when the spears were deep under water, he lured the Mongol fleet up the Bạch Đằng River from the sea. At low tide, when the spears were only just visible above the water, Trần Hưng Đạo's Vietnamese ships drove back the Mongol fleet, impaling the war boats on the spears. The mongol ships that weren't ripped apart by the spikes were trapped and set alight. Without naval backing, the forces occupying the capital were forced to retreat, putting an end to the last Mongol attempt to take Vietnam.

Keep walking around the lake. We are going to get a closer look at Ngọc Sơn Temple -- but not yet. Read More

View locations and route

How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

Resume playback to go at your own pace

If you'd like to stop for a drink or go into a museum, end your tour then use the Resume feature to pick up exactly where you left off.

Listen as many times as you like

You can listen to your tours as often as you like using both the VoiceMap app and website.

Take virtual tours anywhere, like a podcast

Select Virtual mode in the VoiceMap app to listen to tours like a podcast - at home or in transit.

Buy for less on voicemap.me and sync

Once you've purchased a tour, it's added to your VoiceMap library. To access it in the app, just sign in using the same account.

Do tours without paying for data

Tours work offline, so you don't have to pay roaming fees. Just download them over WiFi before you get started.

Major Landmarks

Emperor Ly Thai To Monument Statue
Turtle Tower
Hoàn Kiếm Lake
Hoa Phong Tower
Bún Đậu Cô Tuyến Mắm Tôm Hàng Khay
Vu Thach Pagoda
T.U.N.G Dining
Thư Viện Quận Hoàn Kiếm
St. Joseph Cathedral
Traditional Banh Cuon Nong - Pho Bo 14B Bao Khanh
Cafe Dinh
Welcoming Morning Sunlight Bridge
Tượng Đài Quyết Tử
The Pen Tower
Ngoc Son Temple

View all

Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
8-10 P. Lê Lai, French Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Total distance

2km
Final location
55 P. Hàng Bè, Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Distance back to start location

368.94m

Directions to Starting Point

Start: 12 P. Lê Lai, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000

The tour begins at the Lý Thái Tổ Statue, which sits in a park on Hoàn Kiếm Lake. On a weekday you can access the park by road on Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street. On a weekend, when the lake is pedestriansed, you can access it from behind the park on Ngô Quyền Street. Make sure you're facing the front of the statue when you start the tour with the lake behind you.

Show Directions

Gift vouchers

Buy tours for friends and family who delight in discovery

Buy Now

Buy for a group

Get 15% to 50% off when you buy for a group

Buy Now

License this tour

Adapt this tour to use your brand and suit your guests

Find out more

Tips

Places to stop along the way

I'll point out a handful of hidden street kitchens and cafes along the way. If you're peckish or need a pick-me-up, simply pause the tour and get going again when you're ready.

Best time of day

I recommend doing the tour first thing in the morning. If you do it on a weekend, parts of the route are pedestrianised. The tour is good at any time of year, but remember to dress for the weather.

Precautions

The neighbourhoods are completely safe -- but watch out for the traffic when crossing the road. Most streets are one-way, but that doesn't mean that motorbikes won't come at you from the opposite direction! Bring plenty of water, sunblock if it's sunny or an umbrella if it's raining. There's no enforced dress code for the temples, but it's respectful for both men and women to dress modestly.

Get The App

Download tours to use them offline

Listen hands-free with GPS playback

Get turn-by-turn directions

Scan the QR Code

“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”