Sunset at West Lake

As the vast blue sky changes to flaming red, and the cotton white clouds turn deep orange, people can’t help but notice, and admire, one of nature’s most mystifying and mesmerizing phenomenon – the sunset.

Each Hanoian has his or her own way to relish this enchanting moment when day and night meet, but some would say it is best experienced by the bank of West Lake. And true, West Lake has a lot to offer, from a sweeping panoramic spectacle to breaths of cool wind to ease off the swelter of the day. Standing against a balustrade or sitting on one of the benches placed alongside the lake, you can witness the sun sinking behind the city skyline, to the point where the tallest skyscrapers become barely visible to the naked eye as they fuse with the coming darkness of the night, and where the remnants of what was once a blazing sun are but a few trails of yellow-orange light. Needless to say, it is a sight to be marveled, but if you think that’s all to be seen at West Lake, you’d probably be wrong.

Just as the sun casts its final majestic rays of light over the gleaming water, people start to gather along the bank. Some people enjoy a leisurely stroll, some do evening exercises such as running or cycling along the sidewalk, and some just sit back and take in the view, while others like to have a go at fishing.

Here and there are street vendors who sell a miscellany of dishes, from ice cream to steamed seafood items. All mentioned activities happen in a such a lazy manner that if you were to compare it with all the hustle and bustle on the streets of Hanoi, the two might seem poles apart despite being in the same city. Thus is the beauty of the West Lake. It presents, or represents, a completely different side of Hanoi, one where the city appears ever so tranquil and quaint in its own right.

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Photos by Nhan Tran
Words by Duy Nguyen