Legend has it that when Vietnam was being plundered and pillaged by Chinese invaders in the early fifteenth century, a Vietnamese general, Le Loi, was presented with a golden sword by a turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake.
by Vu Kim Chung
24-10-1999
Two turtles appeared on the surface of Hoan Kiem Lake every four minutes from 6 to 8 am on October 22, 1999, a few metres away from the lake's bank opposite 39 Hang Khay Street. The lake is located at the centre of Hoan Kiem Ward, the old quarter of Hanoi.
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One turtle has a big head with yellow lips and the other
has a gray-green head with white spots in the back of its neck. The appearance
of the turtles is very auspicious.
Legend has it that when Vietnam was being plundered and pillaged by Chinese invaders in the early fifteenth century, a Vietnamese general, Le Loi, was presented with a golden sword by a turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake. |
After Successfully driving the Chinese out of Vietnam, Le Loi brought the sword back to the lake, where the turtle once again rose from the waters to receive it.
This is the seventh time in 1999 that turtles were seen on the lake.
Hundreds of people grouped by the lake to see them.