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A print of the gate of Trấn Quốc pagoda: an ochre gateway under a red tiled roof with curling dragon ridges, a wide arch opening on a green tree and a path, red doors in the side arches and rocks at the corner.A photograph of the gate of Trấn Quốc pagoda: an ochre gateway under a red tiled roof with curling dragon ridges, a wide arch opening on a green tree and a path, red doors in the side arches and rocks at the corner.

Chùa Trấn Quốc

The gate of Trấn QuốcOchre, Sappan red, Shutter green, key blockTrấn Quốc pagoda, Tây HồLine drawn by FLUX.2 [klein] 4B, an image model, after a photograph by shankar s., Photograph by shankar s., CC BY 2.0. Cropped for this site.

Tây Hồ

Tây Hồ and West Lake

The largest lake in the city, and the flowers on its shore.

What it is

Hồ Tây covers about 500 hectares and is the largest natural lake in the city. Trấn Quốc pagoda stands on an islet at its eastern edge. It is usually dated to 541, which makes it the oldest pagoda in Hanoi, and it was moved to the lake from the Red River bank in the early 1600s.

Along the northern shore are the flower villages. Nhật Tân grows peach blossom, and Quảng An kumquats, for Tết.

When to go

June and July for the lotus. The weeks before Tết (6 February 2027) for peach blossom and kumquat. Early morning or sunset for the water itself.

How to behave

Trấn Quốc is a pagoda in use: cover your shoulders and knees and keep your voice low. The lake road is busy at weekends, so ride single file and walk your bicycle across the main junctions.

Things to do

  • Trấn Quốc pagoda

    A tall brick stupa, reflected in a pond.

  • The causeway

    Water on both sides, between West Lake and the smaller lake beside it.

  • Lotus ponds

    In flower in June and July.

  • The flower villages

    Peach and kumquat gardens in the weeks before Tết.

  • Bánh tôm

    Sweet potato and shrimp, fried, eaten with herbs.

Walk it with us

A print of the tower at Trấn Quốc pagoda rising over palms and temple roofs on the far shore of West Lake, in jade, clay brown and dark green, its reflection broken into patches on the water below.A photograph of the tower at Trấn Quốc pagoda rising over palms and temple roofs on the far shore of West Lake, in jade, clay brown and dark green, its reflection broken into patches on the water below.

West Lake by bicycle

Trấn Quốc pagoda, lotus ponds in summer, the flower villages before Tết, bánh tôm.

Length
4 hours
Starts
07:00
Group
Up to 8
From
USD 45
A print of coffee dripping through a steel phin filter set on a glass, on a white saucer with two slices of lemon: the filter and the saucer's shadow in ochre, the coffee in clay brown, all in black line.A photograph of coffee dripping through a steel phin filter set on a glass, on a white saucer with two slices of lemon: the filter and the saucer's shadow in ochre, the coffee in clay brown, all in black line.

Coffee, five ways

Phin, egg, coconut, yoghurt, and a roaster.

Length
2.5 hours
Starts
09:00
Group
Up to 8
From
USD 35

Next neighbourhoodLong Biên and the Red River