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Charm and culture abound in Hanoi’s most peaceful neighbourhood

Hanoi is a city full of surprises. Every one of its innumerable corners has a story to tell and secrets to uncover. The small lake and island that form Truc Bach, just a couple of kilometres to the north of the tourist hotspot HoanKiem, is no exception. In fact, it is one of Hanoi’s most charming spots.

The architecture of Truc Bach is eclectic, with a combination of traditional Vietnamese houses, old French-style villas and more modern developments. Many have offbeat stories behind them. Take Chau Long Pagoda, a place of worship that was built in memory of a local woman who drowned herself in the lake rather than become one of the king’s concubines, or the 400-year old dinh (communal house) on Nguyen KhacHieu street which honours the life of Nguyen Minh Khong, a local monk and healer said to have cured Emperor Ly Than Tong of a disease that made him resemble a tiger.

The people of Truc Bach may have reputation for being eccentric, but they are also respected for their enterprise. From the 16th Century, the island village of NguXa was the home of Vietnam’s most esteemed bronze casters. Local households were tasked with creating bells and statues for pagodas, adornments for the nearby Thang Long Citadel and coins to be used as national currency. Fiery foundries were created in household kitchens and the work was hard and risky. Workshops were built close to the lake to limit the risk of fires spreading, but homes still often burnt to the ground.

These days, demand for bronze cast in the traditional way has all but died out, and only one of the workshops remains (you can visit their showroom at 178 Tran Vu). However, the legacy of the village lives on, particularly within Than Quang Pagoda on NguXa Street.The pagoda originally dates from the late 1700s, but was damaged and then rebuilt in 1952 to house a truly astonishing black bronze Buddha statue – the largest of its kind in Vietnam. Using bronze melted down from statues left behind by the French occupiers, all the villages came together on a single day to pour the molten metal into an enormous, hugely detailed mould. When finished and put in place, the statue weighed fourteen tonnes and was so big that the pagoda’s roof had to be built over it.

Visits to Truc Bach’s pagodas and communal houses are usually easiest on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month when they are open to the public, although sometimes it is possible for passers-by to enter at other times if they ask respectfully. Going for a stroll is by far the best way to explore this charming part of town. Unlike the nearby Old Quarter, which gets a lot more attention, Truch Bach is rarely swarmed by traffic and pedestrians, even though some would make the case that it has just as much to offer visitors.

One day soon Truc Bach will hopefully gain the recognition it deserves. For now though, its pleasures remain one of the best, and best kept, secrets in Hanoi.

Kim Megson is a Vietnam-based journalist. He regularly blogs on culture and politics for BBC Vietnamese and has written extensively about Vietnam for The Guardian, The Independent, The Economist and The Diplomat.