- Project: Memory of XAC CAO pond.

- Objective: estimate current conditions, landscape and propose alternatives to improve, reserve
and develop West Lake corresponding to role and value of the region to Hanoi in particular and
Vietnam in general. Another objective is to create living space friendly to environment and reserve natural characters o the region.
I- FINDINGS AND ANALYZING CURRENT CONDITION OF WEST LAKE
1. Findings:
a, General characters of West Lake region
West Lake is the biggest natural lake of Hanoi. It has an area of 500 ha with perimeter of
18 km. It locates at east-north of Hanoi. According to geography and history, West Lake is a section of the old Red river which was formed during aggregating after changing the flow. Regions
around West Lake will be planed to become a new center of Hanoi in the near future, replacing
the role of Hoan Kiem Lake.
b, Names: it was called Xac Cao pond, Kim Nguu lake, Lang Bac, Dam Dam, Doai lake
c, Historical and cultural relics:
West Lake has been a famous beauty-spot for a long time. From Ly-Tran descents, King built
many palaces around the lake for resting and relaxing, such as: Thuy Hoa palace in Ly descent,
which was Ham Nguyen palace in Tran descent and Tran Quoc pagoda now; Tuy Hoa palace in
Ly descent which is Kim Lien pagoda now; Thuy Chuong palace in Le descent which is Chu
Van An high school now..

There are many historical and cultural relics around the lake, such as:

Nghi Tam village, hometown of Ba huyen Thanh Quan poet with special architecture of Kim
Lien pagoda;
Nhat Tan village with Tao Sach pagoda and famous peach, mandarin cultivating crafts;
Xuan Dinh village with Soc temple which worships Giong Saint;
Xuan La village with Thien Nien pagoda which worships the weaver foundation Pham Thi
Ngoc Do, wife of Le Thanh Tong King;
Ke Buoi village (An Thai) with a traditional paper making craft, Dong Co temple (locates in
Thuy Khue street now) where was vowing place of Hundred of Officer in Ly descent;
Thuy Khue village with Ba Danh pagoda, Quan Thanh temple, Tran Quoc pagoda;
Tay Ho palace (worships Lieu Hanh Princess) which is famous for a monument and a beautispot;.

Thanh Nien street: former called as Co Ngu street, built from a narrow dyke separating a part
of West Lake. In 1957-1958, according to instruction of Ho Chi Minh President, the street
was extended by pupils and students of Hanoi in every Saturday, after that it is called Thanh
Nien Street. On beautiful days, many Hanoi inhabitants go for a walk around the lake or row
for sightseeing.
Chu Van An high school.

2. Analyzing the current conditions

a, Transportation

Having a look on graphs, it can be seen that the main transportations of West Lake from 19432013 have been formed for a long time and kept no change until now, they become the main
roads connecting the regions around West Lake now.
In 1943, there were concentrated many crafting villages, fishing villages, development of agriculture formed the villages, thus transportation here was formed naturally, not planned in detail.
In 1992, our country started the renovation period, West Lake was paid more attention which is
not a fertile region, after dominating of France, travel and resting service were formed, many
hotels, relaxing zones were built, accompany with the attention on transportation of West Lake,
roads were classified more clearly
Currently, the transportation of West Lake is quite good, clearly classification of roads, high
quality Services, travel are developed, forming roads around West Lake.
Local roads has 10,5-30m width included: Lac Long Quan, Xuan La, Xuan Dinh, Thuy Khue,
Thanh Nien streets Roads in Quang An peninsula has 13,5-21,25m width, walking road
around West Lake (next to the embankment) has 8,5-10,5m width
b, Land usage:

Lasting dominating of France, renovation (1986) periods, until now, natural land, vegetation around West Lake has been decreased significantly. Replacing are living land, business land which were improved according to land usage purposes around West Lake.
Currently, vegetation around West Lake is very few, public spaces has been formed but
not enough to create links with the landscape of the lake.
Public spaces, services, parks locate locally and without connecting and unifying with
landscape axis, lack of impressed landscape.

C, Public spaces:
Public spaces are focused on 04 main parts:
+ Public services
+ Public cultures
+ Entertainment zones
+ Religious zones

*Public services:
Public services are buildings which support for everyday living of inhabitants, for examples: business shops, restaurants, schools, hospitals
- Around West Lake, public services are scattered along the main roads around the lake and
tended to approach the lake with large amount. Because this region is looking forward to thorough development and a new center of Hanoi then developing public services is essential. Besides that, this region has many beauty-spots and entertainment zones for attracting domestic and
foreign tourists to come and enjoy natural spots inside Hanoi.
* Public cultures

Public cultures are places for public activities with particular culture of each group, each village in each period. They can be culture houses, playing yards, stadiums
Around West Lake, according to the survey, there are scattered distributions, concentrated locally. Therefore, the number is small. And land here is expensive so it is difficult to have a large
place.
*Entertainment zones
Entertainment zones are places for entertainment, for examples: parks, sport centers
Around West Lake, there are many entertainment zones, scattered around the lake, concentrated
in Nhat Tan, Truc Bach, Quang An The entertainment zones locate at crowded zones with development of economic, services.
*Religion
Religious zones are places support for each particular religion, for examples: churches, pagodas
Around West Lak, there are not many religious zones, distributed at some areas. They are reserved from traditions and monuments until now.
General comment: This is a major region of Hanoi. Therefore, services are developed and attract
many domestic and foreign tourists to come and enjoy beauty-spots inside Hanoi. Although to
become a center, the development of economic is essential but the reservation of traditional cultures of West Lake is also important and it must create special characteristics of this region.
d, Population
In such developing urban as West Lake, inhabitants are still living in village style and forming
small wards around the lake, included: Nhat Tan, Quang An, Yen Phu, Truc Bach, Quan Thanh,
Thuy Khue, Buoi, Nghia Do, Phuc La wards
e, Green trees
Vegetation is diversified but distributed not uniformly, located mainly at ponds and some crowded areas. However, they are not utilized as natural spots and the living wastes from residential
areas as well as public buildings affect to the ecosystem. Therefore, creatures are disappeared
gradually and cannot survive in such polluted environment.

Based on the above analysis, the region around West Lake can be divided into 04 areas:

+ New developed residental area:

This is the area with mordened design and many entertainment zones, attracting tourists but the
landscape around the lake is quite simple, not high aesthetic. However, the transportation is clear
and connecting to the lake. Therefore, the alternative for this area is to design boat stations for
practicing and playing, improve public equipment and trees, suplement new creatures, floating
tree or small islands on the lake, design parking area combining with observation points near the
lake, approaching the lake, link the transportation from the living area.
+ Old residental villages
This is still reserved the old living style, the landscape around the lake is simple without
exploiting the potential of the vegetation correctly, the transportation around the lake, reducing
the lake approaching ability, few parks, lak of equipment and simple landscape organization.
Therefore, orientation for this area is: design public spaces in the residental area and tended to
extend to the lake, create connecting islands for creatues and impress the boundary on the lake
when observe from the parks, increase the lake approaching by handrail system and soft
embankment.
+ Flower gardens along Thanh Nien Street
This is the area with uniformed organization but too simple and no imprssion for the area, ugly
boathouses, cause obstruction when seeing the lake, many bad santitation areas, not clearl

management of spaces and usages: transportation, entertainment, pedlars, public parking

From such condtions, there are some solutions for this area: reorganize the transportation to the
boat station crossing Ly Tu Trong flower garden, improve the boat stations, build parking areas
near Chu Van An high school, design kious for pedlars, for hire with low price according to each
hours to save space for entertainment, suplement impressions for the space.
+ Services area:
This is the place with many particular characteristic landscape of West Lake, located in the lake,
peach and mandarin gardens However, the landscape has not been exploited correctly to
create beauti-spots for this area. Therefore, we create landscape axises connecting natural spaces,
establish special characteristic of the old West Lake according to sustanable development.
Therefore, this area is suitable for implementing the idea of Xac Cao pond.

Alternative for general maintenance

II. Research area and proposal for the detail maintenance.
1. Research area

The service area of Tay Ho palace has many advantages of

environment, landscape and human for bringing back the space of the old Xac Cao pond.
2. Desing the detail landscape of the area
a, Transportation
Create connecting roads for natural vegetations to the lake. Especially, at near the lake, classify
clearly the transportation roads for vehicle and for pedestrian, sightseeing. The vehicle roads are
separated inside, the area near the lake is for entertainment, exercise, in order to help us to approach the ecosystem easily. The inside vehicle roads are natural space connecting axis, for example mandarin, peach gardens and small vegetation pond.
b. Public spaces.
Public spaces are supplemented and follow the landscape axis, create the living environment for
human closer and more friendly to the environment. Especially for schools of children, they need
to approach the ecological environment, away from damages of polluted environment, easy to
get sick and bad condition for study.

c. Green trees, water surface

- Design ecological rafts, floating islands to the concentration of the creatures
- Increase the green trees and approach the ecological space at entertainment zones and even living spaces of human.

- Increase ecological area for under water creatures. Create the green, clean, beautiful environment, increase the aesthetic for the urban, decrease the pollution for the environment.

Alternative for detail maintenance of the area