Hoan Kiem Lake’s new light display draws Hanoi visitors for nighttime photos

On Friday evening, a decorative lighting project around Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake officially began operation, transforming the city-center landmark with a vibrant nighttime display.

Residents and visitors marveled at the lake's picturesque new look after dark.

A nighttime canvas in the heart of Hanoi

Taking advantage of the weekend to stroll around the city, two young women, Nguyet Anh and Thu Quynh from Dong Ngac Ward, were surprised to see Hoan Kiem Lake looking different.

"The entire area around the lake was dark, then suddenly lit up from Turtle Tower. The lights moved around the lake, while the trees and flower beds were illuminated in different shades.

"I saw so many people stopping to take photos with the newly planted flower beds. I'm sure the pedestrian area will attract even more visitors to experience it in the coming days," Nguyet Anh said. 

Traveling from Nghe An to Hanoi for the September 2 holiday (National Day holiday), Le Thanh Dat and his wife, Le Thi Thuong, were among the first visitors to see the new light display at Hoan Kiem Lake.

"The multiple layers of lighting make the pedestrian area feel more vibrant and dazzling. The flower beds are beautifully lit and bright enough for residents and visitors to take photos.

"Our family feels really lucky to have seen the entire light display tonight, so we had to take photos to remember the experience," Thuong said.

According to Nguyen Toan Thang, vice-chairman of the Hoan Kiem Ward People's Committee, the renovation of the area around Hoan Kiem Lake is not simply an investment in a new lighting system. 

It is intended to balance heritage preservation with landscape architecture, urban aesthetics and the use of technology to meet residents' needs for public space.

The project uses modern lighting technology while respecting and highlighting the existing values of the historic site. 

The lighting is designed to blend with the architecture, greenery, water and surrounding landscape of Hoan Kiem Lake.

The lighting system consists of four layers. The first illuminates Turtle Tower, the Ngoc Son Temple complex and The Huc Bridge. 

The second covers the embankment and trees along the water's edge. The third illuminates trees, walking paths and architectural landmarks such as Pen Tower and Hoa Phong Tower. 

The fourth covers the roadways and light effects designed for the pedestrian area.

Letting light tell the story

A representative of Signify, the lighting equipment provider, said the project is one of the company's largest architectural lighting projects in Vietnam to date. 

It uses more than 3,000 advanced LED fixtures and smart control technology from Philips UNI and Color Kinetics.

The project not only gives a modern lighting treatment to iconic landmarks such as Turtle Tower, Ngoc Son Temple, Hoa Phong Tower and Ba Kieu Temple, but also improves operational efficiency and is expected to boost tourism and Hanoi's broader socioeconomic development.

The interconnected lighting system creates a nighttime story around Hoan Kiem Lake, with warm ambient lighting and shifting colors evoking the distinctive character of Hanoi's four seasons.

Spring is represented by the pink of peach blossoms; summer by the vibrant red of flamboyant flowers and purple of crape myrtles; autumn by soft golden foliage; and winter by silvery white tones.

Along the pedestrian street, interactive installations combine lighting and technology. Gobo mapping lights create visual highlights in entertainment and recreational areas.

The revamped nighttime appearance of Hoan Kiem Lake is expected to draw more residents and visitors to explore the area and take photos.