Location: Approximately 5.8 to 6 km east of Da Lat city center, along the Quang Trung – Phan Chu Trinh route, near the road toward Nha Trang via Khanh Le Pass.
Set on a high hill surrounded by pine forests in eastern Da Lat, Than Tho Lake is characterized by calm waters, green pine-covered slopes and the quiet atmosphere typical of the highland city.
Unlike landscapes dominated by dramatic mountains or powerful waterfalls, the charm of Than Tho Lake lies in its tranquility, gentle scenery and romantic atmosphere.
The lake is famous not only for its landscape but also for the stories of love that have become part of Da Lat’s collective memory. From the legendary love story of Hoang Tung and Mai Nuong to the real-life story of Thao and Tam associated with Two Graves Pine Hill, the lake has long been connected with stories of love, separation and devotion.
Its name has also become part of Da Lat’s popular culture through the well-known lines:
“Da Lat has Cam Ly Waterfall,
And Than Tho Lake, how could anyone bear to leave?”
Than Tho Lake Among the Pine Forests
Than Tho Lake lies on a high hill surrounded by pine forest. The water is generally calm, while a dirt path follows the lakeshore before gradually disappearing among the trees.
The surroundings are remarkably peaceful. Wind moving through the pine canopies creates a continuous rustling sound, blending with birdsong and the still surface of the lake. This sound of the forest contributes to the distinctive atmosphere suggested by the name “Than Tho,” meaning sighing or lamenting.
The pine trees around the lake are relatively sparse, tall and evenly spaced. When sunlight filters through the canopy, their shadows stretch across the grass, creating a soft interplay of light and shade that is characteristic of Da Lat.
On the northern side of the lake stands a pair of pine trees growing closely intertwined, often described by visitors as a “lovers’ pair.” It has become one of the lake’s familiar spots for commemorative photographs.
Size and Physical Characteristics of Than Tho Lake
Than Tho Lake has a water surface of approximately 6 hectares, equivalent to 0.06 km². Due to sedimentation and periodic dredging over time, the water surface may fluctuate between approximately 6 and 8.5 hectares.
The protected scenic area covers approximately 118 hectares, including the lake itself, surrounding pine forests and the landscape hills around the water.
The lake has a designed storage capacity of more than 1 million cubic meters. Its average depth is approximately 1.5 to 2.5 meters, while the deepest section near the spillway outlet can reach around 4 to 6 meters, depending on wet and dry season conditions.
The lake surface lies at an elevation of approximately 1,520 meters above sea level. It has an elongated shape, extending approximately 700 to 850 meters along its main axis from the upstream area toward the dam.
Its widest section measures approximately 150 to 180 meters, while narrower sections can be only around 50 meters wide.
The lake receives water from headwater streams within the Cam Ly Stream basin, together with groundwater and surface runoff flowing down from the surrounding pine-covered hills.
These characteristics show that Than Tho Lake is more than a small body of water surrounded by pine trees. It is also a reservoir whose history is connected with the development of eastern Da Lat.
From Tonô Pang Dong Pond to Lac des Soupirs
Before becoming Than Tho Lake, the area was originally a small pond or wetland used by local communities, known as Tonô Pang Dong.
In 1917, the French built a dam to block the flow from the upper reaches of Cam Ly Stream, creating an artificial reservoir. The structure was reinforced and expanded in 1937 to provide domestic water for military barracks and residents in eastern Da Lat.
The French named the lake Lac des Soupirs.
In French, “soupir” can convey two related meanings. One refers to the sound of wind blowing or leaves rustling, while another means a sigh or lament.
The original name is understood as describing the sound of highland winds moving through the pine forest beside the quiet lake. When translated into Vietnamese, however, the name came to be interpreted in the more melancholic sense, becoming Ho Than Tho, or “Sighing Lake.”
The name later became even more fitting as stories of tragic love became associated with the lake.
The Changing Names of Than Tho Lake
The lake’s name has changed several times throughout the history of Da Lat.
In 1956, the lake officially took the Vietnamese name Than Tho Lake, following a proposal by the local town council at the time.
After 1975, the lake was renamed Suong Mai Lake, reflecting an effort to replace a name associated with sadness with one carrying a gentler meaning.
The new name, however, never fully replaced the old one in everyday use. Local residents and visitors continued to call it Than Tho Lake because the original name had become deeply associated with the landscape and its stories of love.
In 1990, the name Than Tho Lake was restored.
In 1999, the lake was recognized as a National Scenic Site.
The Legend of Hoang Tung and Mai Nuong
One of the oldest stories associated with Than Tho Lake is the love story of Hoang Tung and Mai Nuong, set in the eighteenth century during the Tay Son period.
According to the legend, when Nguyen Hue raised an army against the Qing invasion, Hoang Tung left to join the campaign. Before saying goodbye, the two lovers met by the lakeshore and made a promise. Hoang Tung said that he would return with news of victory in spring, when the mai anh dao blossoms appeared.
Mai Nuong stayed behind and waited.
But she received news that Hoang Tung had been killed in battle. Overcome with grief, she went to the water and took her own life.
The story took a tragic turn when Hoang Tung actually returned victorious in the middle of spring. He was devastated to learn that his beloved was gone.
Several years later, after the fall of the Tay Son dynasty and the persecution of those associated with it, Hoang Tung took his own life beside the lake, hoping to reunite with Mai Nuong in the afterlife.
The story became associated with the name Than Tho, transforming the lake into a symbol of a broken promise and a love remembered as deeply devoted yet tragic.
Two Graves Pine Hill and the Story of Thao and Tam
While the story of Hoang Tung and Mai Nuong belongs to the realm of legend, the story associated with Two Graves Pine Hill has been passed down as a real-life tragedy connected with Da Lat in the 1950s.
The story centers on Vu Minh Tam, a young officer at the National Military Academy of Da Lat, and Le Thi Thao, a local teacher.
According to the story, their relationship faced strong opposition from their families and the social prejudices of the time.
In 1956, Thao drowned herself in Than Tho Lake, leaving a farewell letter expressing her wish to be buried on the pine-covered hill beside the lake.
After her death, overwhelmed by grief, Vu Minh Tam also took his own life and wished to be buried beside her.
The place subsequently became known as Two Graves Pine Hill, located near the lake. It became a stopping point associated with their tragic love story for generations of visitors.
The man’s remains were later reburied in his hometown by his family, while a symbolic grave continued to be preserved at the site.
The story of Thao and Tam has since become an enduring part of the cultural memory surrounding Than Tho Lake.
Than Tho Lake and the National Military Academy of Da Lat
Another reason Than Tho Lake became widely known was its connection with the former National Military Academy of Da Lat, now the Military Academy.
During the 1950s and 1960s, when the academy was going through a particularly active period, Than Tho Lake became a familiar destination for cadets, their families and young couples.
On weekends, holidays and Sundays, the lakeside became a place for meetings, recreation, poetry and physical activities. The memories and encounters of successive generations of cadets helped make the lake a familiar part of Da Lat’s social landscape during that period.
It was also in this context that the famous lines about Cam Ly Waterfall and Than Tho Lake became widely circulated among cadets, local residents and visitors.
Than Tho Lake, A Corner of Da Lat’s Memory
Than Tho Lake is not a destination defined by dramatic scenery. Its appeal lies elsewhere: in the still surface of the lake, tall pine trees, quiet paths and layers of memory accumulated over generations.
From a small local pond, the site became a French-era reservoir known as Lac des Soupirs, later Than Tho Lake, then Suong Mai Lake, before eventually returning to the name most deeply rooted in local memory.
The stories of Hoang Tung and Mai Nuong and Thao and Tam, together with the memories of generations of students from the National Military Academy of Da Lat, have given the lake a distinctive cultural character.
Today, surrounded by pine forests and calm water, visitors can still experience a different side of Da Lat: slower, quieter and deeply connected with memory.
For Travelin, Than Tho Lake is more than a scenic attraction. It is a place where nature, history and stories of love have come together to create one of the most evocative landscapes in the memory of Vietnam’s highland city.
