In Vietnamese, the land near ponds, rivers, and lakes is referred to as the banks of ponds, rivers, and lakes, while the area right at the water’s edge is called the shore. However, why does the shore of Hoan Kiem Lake (or Sword Lake) refer specifically to the lake itself?
Visiting the Shore of Hoan Kiem Lake as a cultural habit in Hanoi.
During weekends, even if no cultural events are taking place around Sword Lake, this area remains bustling and lively compared to usual days. Not only young people but also the elderly and children stroll around the lake, resting when tired.
On National Day, September 2nd, and New Year’s Eve, the area around Sword Lake is filled with people, more crowded than any other place in Hanoi. If fireworks are launched, despite the crowding, the daily worries seem to vanish, replaced by smiling faces enjoying the festivities.
During the subsidy period, people from various provinces often said: “If you come to Hanoi without visiting the Shore of Hoan Kiem and the Tràng Tiền General Merchandise Store, you might as well not know Hanoi.” Visiting the Shore of Hoan Kiem Lake has been a cultural habit in Hanoi for many years.
Before the road around the lake was constructed, specifically before 1893, the area of Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street today was land behind the houses on Cầu Gỗ Street. Residents used this area for restrooms, dumping wastewater, and throwing trash, resulting in no one wanting to enjoy the summer breeze here.
The road around the lake was inaugurated during the Lunar New Year of 1893. On the inauguration day, Commissioner Beauchamp Laurent organized various folk games such as blindfolded pot hitting, wrestling, pole climbing, pancake licking, basket boat racing, and firework displays… Although many considered it a form of populism, this event marked the beginning of recreational activities during the French occupation of Hanoi.
Along with constructing this road, the authorities also built the Four Towers Garden (known as Paul Bert Garden in 1887, now Ly Thai To Flower Garden). In 1893, the authorities added a hexagonal pavilion in the garden for a military band to play music on weekends, catering to the French and a small number of curious Vietnamese.
In 1894, Hoàng Cao Khải erected a statue of King Lê Thái Tổ on the western shore of the lake to materialize the legend and to counterbalance the statue of Commissioner Paul Bert in the garden named after him on the eastern shore. Since then, during holidays, the area around Sword Lake became a place for leisure and entertainment.
Due to the road bordering the lake, public land near the lake was very limited, and the tram line from Chợ Mơ could run straight up to Cầu Gỗ Street before turning left onto Hàng Gai Street. The city council wanted land to create flower gardens around the lake, but the compensation for the residents was too high, leading to a decision to fill part of the lake.
In 1925, the city council passed a resolution to fill the lake, citing: “According to the wishes of the people of Hanoi who want a spacious area for recreation, it is necessary to expand Négrier Square (now Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục Square).”
The city council agreed to fill 20 meters of the lake at the beginning of Francis Garnier Street (now Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street) and 10 meters on the west side (now Lê Thái Tổ Street) to plant trees and create small landscapes.
In March 1925, the project was implemented. While work was underway, the École Française d’Extrême-Orient sent an urgent letter to the Governor-General of Northern Vietnam, recommending halting the project due to “the destruction of historical monuments along the lake.”
Immediately, on May 1, 1925, the Governor-General of Northern Vietnam, J. Krautheimer, sent a letter to the Hanoi Prefect requesting a temporary halt to the filling of the lake. However, Prefect Louis Frédéric Eckert continued the work. Director Leon Finot of the École Française d’Extrême-Orient promptly sent a letter to the governor-general informing him that “the Hanoi prefect continued to fill the lake.”
In response to the governor-general’s letter, the Hanoi prefect argued: “The decree of the High Commissioner of Indochina granting management rights over historical monuments to the École Française d’Extrême-Orient has not yet been signed and published in the official gazette, so it cannot be applied to the ongoing work in the city. Furthermore, even if the decree were signed, the lake’s shore could not be classified as a historical monument.”
The prefect Eckert suggested that the governor-general rescind the prohibition. Faced with this argument, the governor-general of Northern Vietnam had no choice but to allow the city to continue the work. The École Française d’Extrême-Orient also sent a letter stating they “would not be responsible for what the city had done and requested the city to inform them of the subsequent actions.”
After the filling was completed, the city reinforced the lake’s banks with trees and flowers, paved walkways, and installed public electric lights. The residents of the surrounding streets found the area clean and began to visit the lake during the summer for fresh air. To them, Sword Lake felt like their own neighborhood lake, so when they visited it for fresh air or leisurely strolls, they simply referred to it as going to the Shore of Hoan Kiem Lake. People from other streets also began to follow suit, and gradually it became a familiar and popular term.
The Bombax ceiba tree by the Shore of Hoan Kiem Lake.
In 1954, the Geneva Accords were signed, requiring France to withdraw its troops from Indochina, but the 17th parallel divided the country. The North enjoyed peace, while the United States quickly replaced France in the South. As many people from the North migrated to the South, numerous officials and soldiers from the South also gathered in the North.
In 1960, the Central Committee for National Unification established the Unification Club at 16 Lê Thái Tổ Street, which became a center for political and cultural activities, as well as a place for Southern migrants to connect.
The address 16 Lê Thái Tổ was also where families celebrated, welcomed the New Year, and listened to President Ho Chi Minh’s New Year wishes on the Voice of Vietnam radio. After welcoming the New Year, unmarried individuals from the South would stroll around Sword Lake, perhaps to suppress their longing for home and loved ones.
To share joy and solidarity with their Southern compatriots, many Hanoi residents, especially the youth, would also visit Sword Lake during the New Year celebrations, which established a unique cultural practice: celebrating New Year’s Eve by walking around Sword Lake. This cultural practice has persisted for over half a century and will undoubtedly continue.
The vocabulary of a person can indicate their rural origin. Hanoi residents often say they are going to the Shore of Hoan Kiem Lake; anyone who refers to it as Sword Lake or Hoan Kiem Lake, or calls the grilled pork and vermicelli dish ‘ground meat’ instead of ‘minced meat,’ is likely new to living, working, or visiting this city.
