HOAN KIÊM LAKE
Hoan Kiêm Lake is located in Hanoi, and its legend dates back to the creation of the Lê dynasty.
The legend of the lake dates back to the creation of the Le dynasty. Lê Loi, a poor fisherman, used to go to the lake every day. One stormy evening, the genius of the lake, the Golden Turtle, offered him a sword and announced that he had been chosen to be the liberator of the people, the one who would fight the Middle Kingdom. After his victory, in 1428, Lê Loi was crowned emperor under the name of Lê Thai Tô, thus founding the dynasty of Lê. On another stormy night, as he lingered alone on the shores of the lake that had changed his destiny, another bolt of lightning split the sky, the sword was torn from him and he saw it fall into the depths of the water. It is said that sometimes, in the moonlight, one can see its brilliant and magical reflection on the sleeping wave.
From legend to natural science. Yet the turtle is not the Loch Ness monster, and its appearances are very real. Those who would not believe the legend are naive... It is a giant turtle 2 m long, 1.10 m wide and weighs about 200 kg. The turtle has a white mark on the back of his head. What species is it? In 2000, Professor Ha Dinh Duc named it Rafetus leloii
. He is indeed convinced that it is a particular species, of which this giant tortoise would be the last specimen. For Douglas Hendrie, a western expert, the giant tortoise of Hoan Kiem Lake would belong to a species also represented in China. Vietnam has 28 species of turtles, all of which are listed as endangered. The turtle is admired for its longevity but, unfortunately for it, the Vietnamese also attribute aphrodisiac and taste virtues to it, making it a popular and expensive delicacy in some specialized restaurants.The wounded turtle, the captured turtle, but the released turtle.
In the first quarter of 2011, the Lake Hoan Kiem tortoise lived through painful hours. Coming out of the water, it plunged the country into anguish. Recently, his repeated appearances had revealed that he was suffering from several injuries. The decision had been made to offer her a quarantine during which the waters of the lake would be cleaned up. The intervention of the army allowed the Turtle to be captured and installed on the islet in the centre of the lake, transformed into a convalescent centre, with an artificial pool. After a month of treatment, the Turtle received his release form.The Turtle left, the legend remains. We still do not know the date of birth of Cu Rua, "the great-grandmother tortoise". On the other hand, we do know that she was found dead in the afternoon of January 19, 2016. Shortly before that, an unusual cold spell had seized the capital. It was also the eve of the opening of the 12th National Congress of the Vietnamese Communist Party and social networks were quick to relay the news, which was interpreted as a bad omen and caused real distress among the people of Hanoi, who are very attached to this guardian creature. The first information reported by the official media was moreover briefly censored by the regime anxious to avoid a polemic where it would have to grapple with the decrees of Heaven. "The old turtle has disappeared, its body having undergone birth, old age, illness and death," the Hanoi City People's Committee said. The legend continues to enchant the Lake of the Restored Sword.
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