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China and Vietnam share legend of West Lake

(Chinadaily.com.cn) 15:12, December 12, 2023

West Lake in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. In Hanoi, Vietnam, there is also a West Lake with the same name as the one in Hangzhou.

The lakes in Hangzhou and Hanoi not only bear the same name, but also have a mythical root. Both lakes are believed to have mythical origins involving heavenly fairies and bronze mirrors, creating a cultural connection between China and Vietnam.

According to a folk legend, in ancient times, two fairies came down from heaven without permission. When leaving the mortal world, they couldn't bear to part, so they each threw down a bronze mirror. One mirror fell in Hangzhou, and the other in Hanoi. The two mirrors later turned into the lakes in each city.

Tran Quoc Pagoda, located on an island in the West Lake of Hanoi, looks slightly like the Leifeng Pagoda of the West Lake in Hangzhou. Have you noticed the resemblance between Tran Quoc Pagoda on Hanoi's West Lake and Hangzhou's Leifeng Pagoda?

Aerial photo taken on April 19, 2022 shows Leifeng Tower at the West Lake scenic area in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Xinhua]