Lying at the north of Bac Kan Province, deep in the core zone of Ba Be National Park, the three freshwater lakes of Ba Be (Pe Lam, Pe Lu, Pe Leng) spread on a total area of 5 million sqkm with the depth of water reaching down to 35m deepest. The lakes are located on a height of 145m above sea level, with 8 kilometers of the lake covered with cave and underground stream system. With this vast body of water and diversity in biology and geology, Ba Be Lake has important values in nature preservation in North Vietnam.

The birth of Ba Be lake was associated with a very famous legend. Once upon a time, a leper visited to a festival held by Nam Mau villagers, only to received hostility and discrimination from the host villagers for the disease she had. But one widow and her son showed this old poor woman kindness and invited her to their house and let her stay that night. In midnight, both of them were roused by the loud roaring noise, they found out a dragon instead of the old leper woman. When morning came, the old woman told them the truth that she was a higher being that had come down to test the villagers and decided to punish them with a cataclysm. The woman and her son were the only ones spared from the calamity for the good deed they’ve done. They were given a 2 pairs of rice husks to rescue people when everything got calm. After the flood was gone, a huge valley became the immense lake, called Be Be as today.

 

Ba Be is the deepest natural lake in Vietnam and swimming in Ba Be lake should be considered carefully. Widow Island is the most suitable site for swimming since it’s only 18m deep. You can also jump from the island into the lake, from a height of 5 meters. However, consult your tour guide before swimming.