Exploring The Huc bridge - "Silk ribbon" in the heart of the capital

Lying gracefully like a red silk ribbon stretching across the emerald waters of Hoan Kiem Lake (Hồ Gươm), The Huc Bridge has long become an indispensable cultural and historical symbol of Hanoi. Not only standing out for its ancient beauty, the bridge also carries deep feng shui and spiritual significance connected to Ngoc Son Temple (Đền Ngọc Sơn). Visitors planning to explore Hanoi certainly cannot miss this distinctive red bridge.

1. Introduction to The Huc bridge

The Huc Bridge belongs to the historical relic complex of But Tower (tháp Bút) and Ngoc Son Temple, Hang Trong Street (phố Hàng Trống), Hoan Kiem District (quận Hoàn Kiếm), Hanoi. The name The Huc means "where light drops settle," or "condensing brilliance," "welcoming morning sun." The name not only carries meaning describing the beauty of the red bridge lying on the lake surface each dawn but also expresses spiritual significance, orienting toward beautiful things in life.

The Huc Bridge was built in 1865 under the supervision of judicial examiner Nguyen Van Sieu (Nguyễn Văn Siêu). Originally, when Hoan Kiem Lake was still called Ta Vong (Tả Vọng) and Huu Vong (Hữu Vọng), the path to Jade Island (đảo Ngọc) in the middle of the lake was a simple bamboo bridge. Later, during the reign of King Tu Duc (vua Tự Đức), when Nguyen Van Sieu was entrusted with restoring the temple on Jade Island, he decided to build a red bridge across the water.

Image of The Huc Bridge in 1884 (Source: Internet)

To date, the bridge has undergone two major renovations, once in 1897 during the Thanh Thai (Thành Thái) period and once in 1952 after a bridge span broke due to overload on New Year's Eve when crowds visiting for spring festivities were too dense. Today, the bridge has been rebuilt with foundations and horizontal beams still using solid cement, but the bridge surface and railings remain wooden as in the original architecture.

The Huc Bridge faces east where the sun rises, fully receiving light and spiritual energy from heaven and earth. The deep red color of the bridge symbolizes life, luck, happiness, containing profound cultural philosophy about wishing for prosperity and peace in the Hanoi people's consciousness.

2. How to get to The Huc bridge

The Huc Bridge is located right in the area between Hoan Kiem Lake, in the center of the Old Quarter (phố cổ), so it's very easy to reach by various means of transportation such as buses; taxis or ride-hailing services; motorbikes or private cars.

• Bus: This is an economical and popular choice for tourists wanting to experience Hanoi in local style. Some bus routes passing through the Hoan Kiem Lake area include 02, 04, 42, 146, and CNG 03. After getting off at nearby stops, you can walk a few minutes to reach the bridge. Bus fares range from 7,000 - 9,000 VND per trip.
  
• Taxi or ride-hailing services: If you're near the Old Quarter area, you can easily catch a taxi or motorcycle taxi to reach The Huc Bridge area. Currently, ride-hailing services in Hanoi are very developed, so you can easily catch rides and check prices in advance on apps.
  
• Self-driving by motorbike or private car: You can reach The Huc Bridge by private vehicle following these routes:
  

• Starting from Giang Vo (Giảng Võ) area, go through Nguyen Thai Hoc (Nguyễn Thái Học), turn into Hai Ba Trung (Hai Bà Trưng) and continue to Dinh Tien Hoang (Đinh Tiên Hoàng).
• Starting from Kham Thien (Khâm Thiên), move through Tran Hung Dao (Trần Hưng Đạo), Hang Bai (Hàng Bài), Dinh Tien Hoang.
• Starting and going through Dai Co Viet Road (đường Đại Cồ Việt), move to Pho Hue (Phố Huế) - Dinh Tien Hoang.

Since the area around Sword Lake (Hồ Gươm) prohibits vehicle traffic on weekends, you should find parking spots nearby beforehand to continue walking to visit The Huc Bridge and Ngoc Son Temple.

3. What's special about The Huc bridge architecture?

The Huc Bridge possesses special architecture, attracting visitors through the harmonious combination of art and deep cultural significance. The bridge consists of 15 spans and 32 round wooden pillars arranged in 16 pairs, built in a soft curved arch style, with the bridge's reflection in the lake creating a shape like a red silk ribbon stretching across the water.

The Huc Bridge has its surface and railings painted deep red, with railings consisting of wooden bars woven in X-shaped crosses, both creating beautiful symmetry and meaning to increase the bridge's stability. The bridge also features the words "The Huc" gilded on the railings as an aesthetic highlight.

Regarding materials, despite reinforcement, the bridge surface and railings remain wooden. Experts say the bridge structure takes inspiration from ancient wooden houses of people in the Red River Delta (châu thổ sông Hồng). Woods once used included precious four-season woods, with bridge pillars made from dinh wood, aged lim wood; the middle of the bridge used lim layers mixed with sen and tau woods.

Close-up of The Huc Bridge's distinctive architecture (Source: Internet)

Aerial view of The Huc Bridge (Source: Internet)

4. Tips for visiting Hoan Kiem Lake - The Huc bridge - Ngoc Son temple complex

4.1. Visit early morning or late afternoon to avoid crowds and harsh sun

Depending on visiting time, The Huc Bridge area will have special features you can consider:

• Weekdays: Visitor numbers are usually lighter from Monday to Friday, allowing you to explore the monument comfortably with less crowding and easier photography.
  
• Weekends: From Friday evening to Sunday, the Hoan Kiem Lake area has weekend pedestrian streets attracting many locals and tourists, so you can immerse yourself in the lively atmosphere with street art activities, music performances, and folk games.
  

When visiting, you should also note choosing appropriate times of day such as:

• Early morning (07:00 - 09:00): Early morning usually has fresh air, gentle sunlight shining on the lake surface and The Huc Bridge making the scenery extremely poetic. This is also when there are fewer visitors and the weather isn't harsh yet, suitable for walking, photography, and relaxation in peaceful atmosphere.
  
• Late afternoon (16:00 - 17:30): This is when sunset light reflects on the lake surface creating poetic scenery, with cooler air, suitable for sightseeing and relaxation.
  

You can visit The Huc Bridge early morning when it's not too sunny yet (Source: Internet)

4.2. Appropriate attire and necessary items

To prepare for your visit and show respect for the cultural and historical space here, you should note several things:

• Since Ngoc Son Temple is a sacred worship place, you should wear modest clothing covering shoulders and extending past knees. Avoid tank tops, short skirts, or very short pants.
  
• Prioritize flat shoes, sneakers, or sandals for convenient movement, as you'll walk quite a bit around the lake area and within the monument complex.
  
• Ngoc Son Temple entrance tickets currently cost about 30,000 VND per adult. Additionally, you should prepare small change to buy water or souvenirs.
  
• The Huc Bridge and Hoan Kiem Lake have many beautiful angles for photography, so prepare power banks and bring cameras if available to not miss any moments.
  
• Visiting time usually lasts long, so you can prepare water bottles to maintain energy, especially if visiting during sunny season.
  

Choose appropriate attire when visiting monuments (Source: Internet)

4.3. Suggested exploration itinerary

1 - Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake first

When you reach Hoan Kiem Lake, you can choose to walk or take electric cars, cyclos to go around the lake, enjoying the fresh air and viewing iconic structures from multiple angles like Turtle Tower (Tháp Rùa) emerging in the lake, ancient Hoa Phong Tower (Tháp Hòa Phong), the majestic statue of King Ly Thai To (vua Lý Thái Tổ) in the square.

Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake to fully experience the atmosphere here (Source: Internet)

2 - Explore the entrance complex to Ngoc Son Temple

Before stepping onto The Huc Bridge, you'll encounter two unique But Tower structures rising high like pens writing the three words "Ta Thanh Thien" (Tả Thanh Thiên) in the sky, alongside Nghien Dai (Đài Nghiên) meaning like an ink stone, structures honoring literary spirit and scholarly traditions.

When crossing The Huc Bridge, you should walk slowly to feel the flexibility of the red curved bridge on the lake surface, as well as admire the temple gate and the poetic Hoan Kiem Lake surface. Here, you can find many "Instagram-worthy" angles to capture artistic photos.

Don't miss But Tower monument at The Huc Bridge entrance (Source: Internet)

3 - Visit inside Ngoc Son Temple:

• Light incense and pray at the main hall, showing reverence to national hero Saint Tran Hung Dao (Đức Thánh Trần Hưng Đạo) and the deity governing fame and fortune Van Xuong De Quan (Văn Xương Đế Quân).
  
• View the "Grandfather Turtle" specimen, a priceless artifact that once lived in Hoan Kiem Lake and is considered a witness connected to the legend of King Le returning the sword (vua Lê trả gươm).
  
• Visit Tran Ba Dinh (Trấn Ba Đình) behind the temple, which offers wide views ideal for viewing the entire calm lake surface and admiring Turtle Tower from afar in afternoon sunlight.
  

Explore the complete Ngoc Son Temple complex with many cultural and historical values (Source: Internet)

4 - Combine with pedestrian streets

The pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem Lake become lively from Friday evening to Sunday, so if you visit The Huc Bridge on weekends, don't rush to leave when dusk falls. Stay to immerse yourself in the strolling crowds, listen to street music, watch folk dances, or participate in traditional games like "o an quan," jump rope, etc. These will certainly be relaxing experiences with authentic Hanoi character that you'll find hard to forget.

Don't miss weekend evening pedestrian streets with many interesting activities (Source: Internet)

5 - Enjoy characteristic cuisine

• Trang Tien Ice Cream (Kem Tràng Tiền): This famous ice cream is associated with many generations of young people in the capital, offering diverse flavors for you to experience.
  
• Egg coffee (Cà phê trứng): A famous coffee drink not only popular with domestic tourists but also international friends, can be enjoyed at famous shops like Cafe Giang, Cafe Dinh near Hoan Kiem Lake.
  
• Dried beef salad (Nộm bò khô): An attractive snack indispensable in your culinary journey in the Old Quarter.
  

Don't miss attractive specialties around Hoan Kiem Lake (Source: Internet)

Whether you visit early morning or late afternoon, The Huc Bridge always appears with beauty both ancient and vibrant. Combining bridge visits with But Tower, Ngoc Son Temple, and pedestrian streets will give you a complete "Hanoi" experience. Don't forget to research useful information beforehand and capture memorable moments at The Huc Bridge during your trip.

To not miss The Huc Bridge monument along with many other interesting sightseeing spots and specialties of the capital, you can immediately check quality flights to Hanoi from Vietnam Airlines. Visit vietnamairlines.com right away to explore and book tickets for your Hanoi flight with diverse time options.