Visitors surprised by unusual scene at Trúc Lâm Bạch Mã monastery as lake recedes

Visitors to Trúc Lâm Bạch Mã monastery in Huế are seeing a landscape far removed from the clear, tranquil lake that usually surrounds the site. Truồi Lake has receded sharply, with muddy water and stretches of exposed earth and rock replacing the familiar blue scenery.

The change has surprised people who came to admire the monastery and its mountain setting. The lake normally forms a calm foreground around Trúc Lâm Bạch Mã, while the Bạch Mã mountain range rises behind it.

Dương Đức Hoài Khánh, chairman of Huế City’s irrigation operations company, said the low water level resulted from a planned operating and regulation measure. The company began releasing water through Truồi Lake’s intake gate on August 13 to inspect, maintain and service the main intake-gate system.

Khánh said the maintenance work would proceed comprehensively and should finish before September 15. The aim is to have the system ready for the coming rainy and storm season.

Trúc Lâm Bạch Mã is the first monastery in central Vietnam belonging to the Trúc Lâm Yên Tử Zen tradition. Visitors previously reached it by taking a boat for about 10 minutes across the lake, but that service has been suspended since early 2026 because it had not received a permit. From the landing point, visitors climb 172 steps to the three-entrance gate and the monastery beyond.