Thang Hen Lake, Cao Bang

Thang Hen Lake is situated in Quoc Toan Commune, Tra Linh District, Cao Bang. It is one of the 36-beautiful lakes in the mountains of Vietnam, which lies at the height of 1000 meters above sea level.

There is an interesting legend about Thang Hen Lake. It is said that, long time ago, in Tra Linh area, there is a handsome and intelligent young man, who passed the national examination (in the old time) and became a mandarin. He was awarded with seven days for returning to his village after achieving such honor and entering the imperial city.

Before going back to the imperial city, he met and married a beautiful lady, Bi Ooc. Being so happy with the new marriage, he failed to depart for the capital city on time. Only in the seventh night did he remember to come back. Saying goodbye to the young wife and her parents, he hurriedly ran back to the imperial city. Passing 36 valleys, through rocky mountains in the midnight, he was so tired that he dropped down and unexpectedly smashed into the mountain and died.

The 36 lakes of different sizes that we see today are all beautiful. It is believed that the place where the young men died is now the location of Thang Hen Lake. The place is attracting lots of travelers since provincial authorities have focused much on development of this site. In 2002, Thang Hen Lake was recognized as an eco-tourism site of Cao Bang province by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam.

Source: Vietnamdiscovery