The legend of the Hoan Kiem Turtle in North Vietnam
1. Hoan Kiem Lake- A must-see place when travelling North Vietnam
1. Hoan Kiem Lake- A must-see place when travelling North Vietnam
For
centuries, Hanoians have been fascinated by the mysterious turtle that lives
underneath the tranquil waters of Hoan Kiem Lake, passing down stories about
the beloved creature from generation to generation. Nguyen Minh Huong separates
the reality from the myth.
Hoan Kiem Lake
The
heart of Ha Noi - the Best of North Vietnam, Hoan Kiem Lake looks tranquil and peaceful. On hot summer
days, Hanoians rush to the western bank of the lake to catch a cool breeze or
to simply enjoy the scenery.
But
the picturesque lake is more than just a beautiful site – it is the stuff of
legends. According to a tale that dates back to the 15th century, King Le Loi,
also known as Le Thai To, the founder of the Le Dynasty, found a holy turtle
during a cruise on the then Luc Thuy, or green lake. The turtle told the King to
return the sacred sword that had helped him defeat the northern Ming aggressors
now that peace had returned. Le Thai To unsheathed his sword and threw it to
the turtle. He later named the lake "Hoan Kiem" (Lake of Returned
Sword).
2. The famous legend of the giant turtle in North Vietnam
2. The famous legend of the giant turtle in North Vietnam
The
story has been passed down from generation to generation and recorded in
history books, and there were no real evidence of what the giant reptile may
have looked like until 1967, during the height of the war, when the Ha Noi Food
Company caught a giant turtle from the lake. The turtle weighed about 200 kilos
and was about 2 metres long. The company was going to sell the meat, but
someone alerted the Ha Noi People’s Committee and the then mayor Dr Tran Duy
Hung ordered them to stop the sale. Sadly, the turtle eventually died from
injuries sustained from being mishandled. It was later stuffed and is now on
display at the Ngoc Son Temple.
Turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake
3. The famous legend in Northern Vietnam - Fact or fiction?
After
that one catch, the turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake has remained a mysterious figure
that surfaces whenever he feels like it, mostly during December and then in
March.
"There
is only one turtle in the lake," said Professor Ha Dinh Duc, a biologist
with the Ha Noi National University.
Ha
Dinh Duc, 67, teaches in the Biology Department of the School of Natural
Sciences and started researching the turtles in 1991.
Duc
has a collection of between 300 and 400 photos of Hoan Kiem Lake turtles and
has also collected many stories about them.
Hoan
Kiem Lake turtle, which he named Rafetus Leloii after King Le Loi, has become
an integral part of the culture and history of Ha Noi. The Vietnamese add a
title to his name, Cu Rua, which means great-grandfather the turtle. To many
people, the turtle in the lake is not just a normal turtle – he is a sacred
being. Many put a picture of the Hoan Kiem Lake turtle on their altars for
worshipping.
And
any concrete findings about this creature have been hotly contested because
they touch upon sacred ground.
Professor
Duc has been passionately studying and preserving anything related to the giant
soft-shelled turtle. He also studies the aquatic conditions and life forms in
Hoan Kiem Lake, anything related to the lives of the turtles in the lake over
the last 15 years.
According
to him, the Great Turtle in the lake belongs to a soft shell species measuring
nearly two metres in length and weighing over 200 kilos. He has also identified
the 130 species of the micro-algae family, and 33 other endemic species that
exist solely in the lake.
This
is a very rare animal threatened with extinction.
"I
believe the turtle living in the lake now is the very one that took away King
Le Loi’s sword, as this species can live as long as 500 or even 700
years."
Duc
explains that the turtle that lives in Hoan Kiem Lake can be recognised by the
white spot on his head and a tendency to turn left when he swims.
He
said the turtle may be related to the trionychidae species, the Rafetus
swinhoei, a species found in China.
According
to Duc, one theory about the turtles’ origin is that King Le Loi himself
brought the turtles from his resistance base in Thanh Hoa Province in North Vietnam to release
them in Hoan Kiem Lake.
Duc
said that similarly large-scale turtles were caught in Lam Kinh District, the
once capital seat of Le Loi in Thanh Hoa, some weighing in at 150 kilogrammes.
And large eggs have been found in Tho Xuan District in Thanh Hoa called
"trionychidae eggs".
"It
would be wonderful if the turtles in Lam Kinh were related to Rafetus Leloii
turtles," said Duc. "The problem is we do not know how to test
Rafetus Leloii’s sex. Moreover, he is too old and fragile for any
testing."
In
1995, the Ha Noi People’s Committee turned down an offer from Peter Pritchard,
a researcher from the Archie Carr Centre for Sea Turtle Research, University of
Florida to study the lake’s turtle . The authorities declined the request for
joint-research efforts on the grounds that it is a sacred creature closely
related to the soul of the Vietnamese people.
The
nature preservation organisation, The World Wildlife Fund for Nature, agrees
and does not finance any programs to study the species.
4. the giant turtle in North Vietnam - Seeing
is believing
Contrary
to the lack of factual evidence to help shape the image of the turtle, the
Great Turtle’s disciples have clearly recorded the dates and times he has
surfaced. Though it is impossible to explain, Hoan Kiem Lake turtle usually
surfaces at events related to the legacy of King Le Loi and swims around the
lake.
On
August 26, 1999 he surfaced to witness the dedication of a park to King Le Loi
on Hoan Kiem Lake and on the inauguration day of the monument on that park on
September 27, 2000, witnessed by many of Ha Noi’s cultural researchers and
officials.
But,
Duc is not the only one devoted to the study and care of the turtle. Living in
a small flat in Ha Noi, Luu Duc Ngo shares Duc’s passion to learn more about
the lake’s turtle.
Ngo,
60, a former high school teacher and now an amateur photographer, said "my
photos show there isn’t just one turtle in the lake."
Ngo
shocked the public with his theory that there are actually five turtles living
in Hoan Kiem Lake.
Ngo
started paying attention to the turtle when he first glimpsed of a sighting in
2002.
His
photos from that event were published in local newspapers in Ha Noi.
Like
many others, Ngo believes the turtles in the lake are supernatural creatures
and that he has a special relationship with them.
"Maybe
many people find it hard to believe," confided Ngo, "but it’s true
that whenever I go to the lake, he comes up."
Ngo
said he has been lucky to witness 40 of the 60 recorded times the Great Turtle
has surfaced since 2003.
No
less passionate than Professor Duc, Ngo has a collection of over 300 photos of
the reptiles. Among his favourite photos are those he took on a day when Ha Noi
dignitaries visited the lake and the turtle, surprisingly, surfaced to greet
them.
Ngo
printed the photos and brings them everywhere. He sells the pictures for
VND5,000 to 50,000 and enthusiastically tells the story of the turtle to his
buyers, especially to students. Ngo also charges people VND1,000 a minute to
view the pictures. He has now made more than VND100 million from selling the
photos and has given half of the amount to charity. He believes what he does is
the best way for him to give others what his love for the turtles has given
him.
Friends
or foes?
The
turtle’s two biggest fans have never met, though Ngo has sent Duc three letters
requesting an appointment.
Duc
said Ngo’s theory is not worth believing. The difference of the turtle in the
five pictures is just due to the photography and the brightness.
Whatever
their differences, the two men share a deep love and respect for the turtle,
and both also believe in the turtle’s supernatural and spiritual power.
The
lake now abounds with many small turtles, as locals sometimes purchase turtles
for rituals and later free them in the lake.
As
the weather changes, if you happen to stroll along the lake, keep your eyes
open and your senses alert for the slight chance to spot a moving beak in the
water. Seeing the Great Turtle is a precious moment that all Hanoians dream of
having.
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