Ngoc Son Temple

A small temple on Jade Island in Hoan Kiem Lake, reached over the scarlet Huc bridge — the bridge of morning sunlight — built in 1865. It honours Tran Hung Dao, who beat back the Mongols three times, along with the scholar-god Van Xuong and the patron of physicians.

In a glass case inside is one of the lake’s giant softshell turtles, preserved. It is a strange, sober thing to come upon in a temple, and it is the reason a lot of people remember this visit.

What it costs

Ticketed, at a kiosk at the bridge, and the fee is small. It is the only paid thing on Hoan Kiem Lake.

⚠️ Shoulders and knees covered.

When to go

Early morning, before the tour groups reach the bridge, or the last hour before closing. The bridge itself is at its best in low sun, which is also when everybody else photographs it.

Getting there

The bridge is on the north-east side of Hoan Kiem Lake, five minutes from anywhere in the Old Quarter.

⚠️ Crossing the road is the skill this city asks of you. There is rarely a gap and waiting for one does not work. Step off the kerb and walk at a slow, even pace without stopping; the motorbikes read your speed and go around you. The two things that cause accidents are stopping in the middle and running back. Cars and buses will not swerve for you, so cross behind them, not in front. Give it one block and it stops being frightening.

If you only have an hour

The bridge, the gate with its painted panels, the turtle, and the terrace at the back looking down the lake to the Turtle Tower. Twenty-five minutes and you have not missed anything.

What people get wrong

⚠️ It is small. People buy a ticket expecting a temple complex and find one courtyard. Treat it as the punctuation on a walk round the lake, not as a destination in itself.