What Truc Bach Lake is
Truc Bach was once part of West Lake. A causeway gradually separated the two, and today Thanh Niên road runs along that line, with West Lake on one side and Truc Bach on the other.
The name means "white bamboo." It is a local lake, not a monument. People jog, fish and sit by the water, and the streets around it are lived in rather than built for visitors.
What to look at
Walk the lakeside path and look across the water toward the low skyline of Ba Đình. Thanh Niên road gives you open views over both lakes at once.
On the shore you will find a small stone memorial marking where US pilot John McCain was shot down and pulled from the lake in 1967. It is modest, and easy to miss if you are not looking for it.
Food is the other reason to come. The Ngũ Xã streets beside the lake are known for phở cuốn, uncut rice noodle sheets rolled around stir-fried beef and herbs, and for crispy fried phở chiên phồng. Several bia hoi corners line the waterfront, slightly pricier than elsewhere, but you pay for the view.
When to go
Late afternoon into evening is the best time. Locals gather after work, hot pot places set up pavement tables and the light over the water softens.
In summer, avoid the midday heat. Cool months are ideal for walking or cycling on to West Lake.
Combining it with nearby places
Quan Thanh Temple is about 0.3 km away, at the lake's corner on Thanh Niên road. The Presidential Palace and Stilt House and Ba Dinh Square are about 1 km away, and the Hanoi Flag Tower about 1.5 km.
Truc Bach also works as a lunch break between morning and afternoon visits around the Ba Đình sights. If you have energy left, walk or cycle along West Lake from here.