Tens of thousands of people from Hà Nội and neighbouring provinces came to the square in front of the Hanoi Opera House to show their support for the uprising to seize power from the Japanese on August 19, 1945. —  File Photo

HÀ NỘI — Hoàn Kiếm (Sword) Lake and its surrounding streets, located in the centre of Hà Nội, have always been considered the heart of the capital city as well as its spiritual and cultural hub. The area has witnessed many of the 1,000-year-old city's most historical moments such as the marching of Việt Nam's liberation troops to end the resistance war against the French or the rally of Hà Nội locals in front of the Opera House to seize power from the temporary administrations during the August Revolution in 1945.

On October 10, 1954, victorious military troops march into the capital city, putting an end to the long war of resistance against the French colonists. In this photo, the troops were warmly welcomed by Hà Nội's residents. — File Photo

Dotted with important cultural and sacred places such as Ngọc Sơn Temple, Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục Square and the monument to King Lê Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm Lake has become an indispensable stop for any visitor to Hà Nội.

Football fans gathered around Hoàn Kiếm Lake to celebrate Việt Nam’s win over Qatar to reach the final of the Asian Football Confederation’s Under-23 Championship in 2018. — Photo zing.vn

The streets circling the lake have been turned into pedestrian zone during weekends since October 2016 as part of the city authority’s effort to promote the value of the area.

Art groups performing in the first street carnival, "Hà Nội Essence – Convergence and Shine" by Hoàn Kiếm Lake last July. The event celebrated ten years of the expansion of its administrative boundary (August 1, 2008-2018). — VNA/VNS Photo Quang Quyết

Since the change, many cultural, artistic and entertainment activities have been held around the lake.

A street carnival held in the pedestrian-only street around Hoàn Kiếm (Sword) Lake on May 19 had the participation of 80 Vietnamese and foreign artists to promote Hà Nội as the “City for Peace”. This was the second street carnival held in the capital as part of efforts to boost tourism and create cultural spaces for locals during weekends. —VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

Thousands of visitors come to the pedestrian zone surrounding Hoàn Kiếm Lake every weekend to enjoy the environment and culture of Hà Nội – the City for Peace. ​​​​​​VNS