New High Rises Building to Further Seal Hoan Kiem Lake

New High Rises Building to Further Seal Hoan Kiem Lake

A beautiful and historical lake that has graced the country’s capital for the past centuries is now in danger of being shut off from the very people it provides quick reclusion from the drowning urban noise. Despite the many protests, ${bigcity_Hanoi:"Hanoi"} authorities had once again approved another construction of an eight-story commercial complex close to ${attraction_Hoan_Kiem_Lake:”Hoan Kiem Lake”}. Because of its beauty, Hoan Kiem is considered among the city’s major scenic spots and lying in the center of Hanoi, its public life has circulated around the lake for the past generations. Though it is said that the lake symbolizes the city, it seems there is little concern as to what will make of the lake once businesses completely seal it from public view.
Time after time, no matter how hard historians, media and concerned Hanoians have been trying to fight off those who are endlessly encircling the lake with construction projects, it seems that the greed of those involved have swallowed the area where the lake lies, little by little. For a long time now, businessmen and companies have tried to win a piece of land surrounding the lake. Located right at the heart of Hanoi, there is no doubt that any lucky business that lodges its investment on the said vicinity is sure to reap handsome profits.

The project, said to be by the Vietnam Electrical Equipment Corporation (VEC), intends to put up shopping stores, hotels and offices for lease, which is estimated to cover nearly a hectare of the precious land. With the size of the project, there is no doubt it would easily mar the atmosphere once the complex of buildings starts to stand. Open views of the lake would be blocked and the sight of the massive concrete would overload the area, dwarf the already small lake and in its entirety ruin the only calm in the midst of the busy city.

Looks like there is little value placed on the culture and history the lake holds. A centuries-old myth surrounds the body of water claiming how the lake has swallowed Emperor Le Thai To’s magical sword which helped the country in its conflicts with China. The sword is said to have been sent by the gods to help Vietnam regain its independence, and when it did, they used the river to claim back the sword as it already had served its purpose. Thus, Hoan Kiem Lake is also popularly known in the country as “Lake of the Returned Sword”. Once a part of the Red River (Song Hong), the lake is believed to have shifted slowly away from it as a result of geographical changes brought about by periods of earth’s evolution, much longer than the many dynasties that had reigned the country.

Though local residents strongly object whenever a proposed project is eyed near the lake, a newer proposal comes after another is turned down. The endless pursuit for a piece of the area in the heart of Hanoi is causing the lake to be overrun by concrete. Several years ago, when a five-story commercial center was constructed, the now called “Shark Jaw”, huge protests emerged. Though the city partly gave in to the clamor and made adjustments to the building’s frontage, many still find that its front still resembles a jaw and agree on how unsightly the view is, and that the lake’s beautiful setting is ruined. Local residents had expected efforts by the city to replace the modern building with something more traditional to blend with the historic atmosphere of the local landscape, only to be disappointed.

Later, when the construction of “the Golden Hanoi Building” was underway, there was similarly strong rejection which led to the suspension of the project. However, it was replaced by another huge concrete block, the now Bao Viet Group Building. At present, another high rise in under construction and a long crane standing at the site looks like it is to crush the small lakeside restaurant below.

With Hoan Kiem Lake now being lined with hotels and shopping joints, the historic and cultural value of the lake is slowly being overlooked. Many would argue that the lake should be instead a place where locals and tourists gather for festivals, cultural events and community activities. When last year the city organized a competition aimed to choose a zoning initiative for the lake, many were hopeful that it would be the initial step to straighten out the problems surrounding the area around Hoan Kiem. Nine initiatives were chosen at that time, all emphasizing the need to preserve the landscape around the lake.

But the competition and its results have not yielded anything with the city’s present approval of the VEC project and how they have shrugged off their shoulders on the warnings and protests of architects, experts and residents. In fact, an officer from Hanoi’s Department of Zoning and Architecture termed the authorities’ approval of the project as “reasonable” considering higher buildings already stand around the lake.

Construction projects had already destroyed the vicinity and it’s disheartening to see how those who are in power allow further damage. People are now wondering how much more time is left until the lake is completely concealed with concrete walls. Many are still hopeful, though, that the city will show zoning efforts to protect the lake and be more discerning when granting projects nearby. Though it’s understandable how cities would like to utilize its space, defacing a historically and culturally valuable lake is unforgiveable. Remember, there are very few cities around the world that have treasures as beautiful as Hoan Kiem Lake.