A day around the lakes of Hanoi

In a hyperactive and jammed city, the lakes are places to meet, do sport, meditate, swim or simply enjoy life.

5.30 a.m. Hoan Kiem Lake by the Old Quarter: a man performs Tai-Chi-Chuan in front of the Turtle Tower. VnExpress/Xavier Bourgois

5.30 a.m. Hoan Kiem Lake: a woman practices yoga. VnExpress/Xavier Bourgois

6 a.m. Hoan Kiem Lake: Old women do their daily exercises. VnExpress/Xavier Bourgois

6 a.m. Hoan Kiem Lake: Women do their daily exercises. VnExpress/Xavier Bourgois

6 a.m. Hoan Kiem Lake: A man meditates in front of the lake before going to work. VnExpress/Xavier Bourgois

6 a.m. Hoan Kiem Lake: Old women meet each other in the early morning. VnExpress/Xavier Bourgois

At the end of the day, hundreds of people work out on the sides of Bay Mau Lake. VnExpress/Xavier Bourgois

After a hot day, hundreds of people swim in Ho Tay, or West Lake, the biggest of the city. It probably requires a bit of courage or madness to dive into this highly polluted water after hundreds of thousands of fish died at the beginning of October. VnExpress/Xavier Bourgois