Hoa Binh Island, located in Bay Mau Lake within Thong Nhat Park, earned the nickname "cat island" after young visitors discovered a large population of cats living there in late 2025.

While Thong Nhat Park has seven gates, the island is most visible from the Nguyen Dinh Chieu street entrance. Visitors entering from other points often find it difficult to notice the island's presence.

Although paddle boats can reach the island, visitors face difficulty disembarking due to a lack of mooring points. Most opt to rent a motorboat from Chu Ngoc Phong, a park employee, for a journey of about two minutes.

According to Phong, the island hosts a temple where visitors traditionally light incense on the full moon and the first day of the lunar month. However, since late last year, the area has increasingly attracted young people drawn to the "cat island" itself, shifting from its original purely spiritual purpose.

Currently, approximately 30 cats and two dogs inhabit the island. A long-fallen ancient tree root has become a favored shelter for the cat colony. Phong explained that these are not stray cats; park staff brought their ancestors to the island over 20 years ago for rodent control. Over generations, the cats reproduced and formed the community seen today.

Daily, Phong and the temple caretaker provide food for the cats. "They are quite clever," Phong noted, "often, when they tire of dry food, they go to the lake to catch fish themselves." Scattered fish bones found on the island attest to the cats' hunting prowess.

Tuong Trang (in a black shirt) and her friend, learning about the spot through social media, made their first visit to the "cat island" on 18/1. Although their primary activity was observing the cats, Trang was impressed by the peaceful atmosphere, finding it a suitable place to "clear her mind" and connect with nature on a weekend.

The visitor also brought food for the cats and captured images of them peeking out from tree hollows.

Having visited Thong Nhat Park many times without knowing about the "cat island," Tieu Nguyet (wearing glasses) said that her first visit to the island offered a pleasant and comfortable feeling with a unique appeal that makes her want to return.

Due to the cats' shyness, Phong limits each tour to a maximum of 10 guests. As the "cat island" gained popularity, the amount of leftover food scattered around tree roots increased, leading to sanitation issues. To prevent strangers from swimming to the island to steal cats or shoot birds at night, Phong added two dogs for guarding.

A round-trip motorboat ticket costs 30,000 VND per person. With no other entertainment options, visitors typically stay on the island for only about 30 minutes.

Due to a lack of trash cans and regular cleaning staff, many young visitors voluntarily clean the area after interacting with the cats.

Covering over 50 hectares, Thong Nhat is Hanoi's largest park, bordering four streets: Tran Nhan Tong, Le Duan, Dai Co Viet, and Nguyen Dinh Chieu.

In 12/2025, the park's entire fence, stretching over 2,000 meters, was dismantled to create direct connections with surrounding streets and the central pedestrian zone. This removal has helped the park attract a large number of visitors, especially young people and families with small children on weekends.

By Hoai Anh

Photos: Giang Huy