Vietnam also has a West Lake, and the lakeside is full of cafes!

When it comes to famous attractions in Hanoi, people first think of Hoan Kiem Lake, but there is an even larger lake in the city of Hanoi, which is the West Lake of Hanoi. West Lake was originally a section of the Red River that became silted up and is now the largest lake in Hanoi. There is also a beautiful legend about West Lake. It is said that a fairy in heaven accidentally dropped her mirror to the human world while looking at it, and the mirror broke into two pieces. One half fell in Hangzhou, and the other half landed in Hanoi, Vietnam. Although it sounds far-fetched, West Lake has been a famous spot in Hanoi since the capital was moved to Thang Long (now Hanoi) during the Ly Dynasty. Since the Ly and Chen dynasties, Vietnamese kings and nobles have been keen to build residences or villas here. Today, many temples and palaces are still preserved around West Lake, such as the Tran Quoc Pagoda and Zhenwu Pavilion mentioned earlier. After visiting Tran Quoc Pagoda, it was dusk, and the setting sun cast a warm tone on the lake surface. Compared to West Lake in Hangzhou, West Lake in Hanoi lacks the wild charm of mountains and forests, but it is a rare tranquility in the urban forest. However, the road on one side of the lake is still bustling with traffic, and the tide of motorcycles passes by the lakeside. Crossing the street is all about luck, rushing through the brief gaps. Next to West Lake on the west side, there is a small lake called Truc Bach Lake. I walked around this Truc Bach Lake and liked such streets and alleys, which are rare comforts in the old town of Vietnam. The number of cafes along the shore of Truc Bach Lake is also astonishing. Every few steps, there is a shop, and the density is even higher than our milk tea shops. Locals like to set up a small stool by the lake and leisurely drink coffee there, but what surprised me was that the locals do not pair coffee with cake or pastries, but with sunflower seeds. This scene is quite a combination of East and West, haha. Opposite the coffee is Mixue Bingcheng. Although it cannot compare with the number of cafes, there are also quite a few. Unexpectedly, the popular milk tea abroad is not HeyTea or Nayuki, but Mixue Bingcheng. However, the cost is slightly higher than in China, but the taste is basically the same. Speaking of this, I have to complain about the prices in Vietnam. Except for food, which is slightly cheaper than in China, everything else is more expensive, especially transportation. Grab is even 2-3 times more expensive than Didi. 🏞️Name | West Lake Hanoi 🎫Ticket | Free ⛳Address | Ho Tay, Hanoi