Get from the medallion to the sword lake. Lakes of Hanoi. Old Vietnamese legend

In the very center of the city's shopping district lies the "Lake of the Returned Sword." It was formed on the site of the old bed of the Red River, which now flows somewhat to the north.

In the middle of the lake there is a tower called the “Temple of the Turtle” (Tuap Rua) and is associated with an ancient legend that tells the story of the 15th century Vietnamese hero Le Loi. One day he was fishing here, but he found a magic sword. With this sword, Le Loi led a rebellion against the Chinese rulers. When the hero came to the lake to thank the local spirits for his victory, the magic sword slipped out of his hands and fell into the water, where it was picked up by a huge golden turtle. Later the "Turtle Temple" was built.

Nearby stands the Jade Mountain Temple (Den Ngoc Son), home to a giant tortoise captured in 1968. The temple was built in the 14th century and was rebuilt several times, most recently in the 19th century. The commander Tran Hung Dao, who defeated the Mongol conquerors in the 13th century, Van Suong, the patron saint of writers, La To, the patron saint of doctors, and the martial arts master Kuan Vu are revered here.

In the park by the lake you can sit in a cafe or visit a puppet theater on the water.

Lake of the Returned Sword in Hanoi is a natural reservoir located in the center of the Vietnamese capital. Another name for a natural attraction is Hoan Kiem Lake. It was formed in the place of the old bed of another water artery - the Red River, flowing to the north.

Lake of the Returned Sword - photo

Legend of the lake

History of the lake local residents linked to the name of Le Loi, a peasant fisherman who later became a landowner and king. Being a commoner, at the beginning of the 15th century he led the liberation movement, because at that time the Chinese occupied it. According to the myth, Le Loi was helped to win the war by a turtle who gave him a magic sword. After the end of the battle, the winner rode on the surface of the water. And then a giant turtle came to the surface from the depths of the lake and asked for the sword back. Since Le Loy gave the weapon to the reptile, the reservoir subsequently became known as the Lake of the Returned Sword. But the animal made a promise that if the country was in danger again, it would give the sword to a new hero.

Lake of the Returned Sword - video

Attractions of the Lake of the Returned Sword

Two small islands are hidden in the northern and southern parts of the reservoir. The population believes that they are the head and body of a turtle - the patroness of the Vietnamese people. In her honor on the territory south island was erected Turtle Tower, but not immediately after Le Loy’s victory, but much later - in 1886. Historical chronicles tell that by building the tower, the local official wanted not so much to perpetuate the memory of the legendary reptile, but to bury the relics of his father in secret from everyone. According to Feng Shui, the place was favorable for this purpose. But the secret became clear. Because of the scandal that broke out, the mandarin abandoned his idea.

Special attention to The Lake of the Returned Sword deserves the Jade Mountain Temple. With its construction, the people of Vietnam honored 3 important people at once:

  • historical hero of the events of the 13th century;
  • scientist - patron of literature;
  • a person who made a huge contribution to the construction and improvement of the shrine.

For Europeans, temple decorations are simply fancy objects. But in fact, every architectural element and image carries a certain meaning. The gates of the shrine are painted with hieroglyphs. The large red sign on the right half of the structure means “happiness”, and the symbol on the left side is identified with prosperity. As a tribute to the patron of literature, on the territory of the temple immediately outside the entrance there is a stele symbolizing a writing brush. Ngoc Son, the local name for the temple, is connected to the shore by the Rising Sun Bridge. The structure is visible from a distance thanks to its bright red color. Later, the cult of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism was added to the celebration of the memory of national heroes.

What to see

There are two small islands in the north and south of Hoan Kiem Lake. According to legend, they symbolize the head and body of the sacred turtle. On one island rises the graceful tower of “Thuap Rua” or “Temple of the Turtle”, and on another piece of land there is the amazing “Den Ngoc Son” or “Temple of the Jade Mountain”.

There is a park near the reservoir and a cafe. This a good place for leisurely walks, meditation and relaxation with friends. In addition, a water puppet theater shows performances on Hoan Kiem Lake.

Temple of the Turtle

The Tuap Jua tower is associated with a legend about the fearless hero Le Loy, who lived in the 15th century. In those days, the Vietnamese suffered greatly from the attacks of the Chinese invaders. When Le Loy was fishing in Lake Lukthuy, the sacred turtle gave him a magic sword. The hero fought with this weapon himself and led other Vietnamese into battle.

The revolt led by Le Loy ended in complete victory, and he organized a great celebration for his warriors. Le Loi wanted to celebrate the liberation from the Chinese and thank the gods for their help. At the height of the holiday, the golden turtle again appeared near the hero and asked him to give up his sword. The weapon ended up in the water, the turtle took it in its mouth and swam away.

Since the 15th century, the reservoir began to be called Hoan Kiemili, which means “lake of the returned sword.” And in 1886, the Vietnamese built a beautiful multi-tiered Tuap Rua pagoda. The Last Turtle, who lived in this lake, died of old age in 2016. She belonged to the rare species Rafetus vietnamensis and weighed 170 kg. Her death greatly upset the people of Hanoi, and many Vietnamese newspapers wrote about the event.

Jade Temple

The beautiful temple was built in the 19th century in honor of the military leader Tran Hung Dao. The fearless Vietnamese commander commanded the Vietnamese and defeated the Mongol army that sought to take over the country. Thanks to the merits of Tran Hung Dao, Vietnam managed to defend its independence.

The temple was rebuilt many times. The last time this happened was in the 19th century. In addition to Tran Hung Dao, people here pay tribute to the patron of all writing people, Van Suong, the patron of doctors, La To, and the famous martial arts master Kaung Vu.

You can get to the temple via Cau Thehuk or the Rising Sun Bridge. Today, a stuffed animal of a huge turtle, which was caught in 1968, is on display here. Her weight is 250 kg.

Access to Hoan Kiem Lake is free, but entry to Dan Ngoc Son is paid for foreigners. The ticket can be purchased at the kiosk located to the left of the bridge. It costs 20,000 dong. The temple is open to visitors daily from 8:00 to 17:00. To avoid crowds, it is better to come here in the morning or afternoon. You should also keep in mind that on weekdays there are not as many visitors as on weekends.

How to get there

Hoan Kiem Lake is easily accessible by any means of transport that runs around Hanoi, such as taxis or city buses. It is not difficult to walk from the Old Quarter to the historic reservoir. The city's main post office is located next to Hoan Kiem Lake and is hard to miss.

(Hoan Kiem) is located in the heart of old Hanoi and attracts many locals and tourists. Most of the hotels and hostels in Hanoi where Europeans like to stay are located in this area.

The Lake of the Returned Sword was once part of the Hongha River, but gradually the lake separated from it and moved until it took its current place.

Legend of the Lake of the Returned Sword

There is an old Vietnamese legend about this lake that all local residents know. It says that in the waters of the lake there lives a huge turtle, which, at the height of the war with China, swam out and gave a sword to the national hero of Vietnam - Le Loy. Thanks to this sword, Le Loi was able to turn the tide of the battle and defeat the invading army. Immediately after the battle, the turtle swam out of the lake again and took the sword back. That is why the lake received such a poetic name - Lake of the Returned Sword.

The strangest thing is that the water in the lake is constantly green, even though the lake is periodically cleaned and European specialists are invited to clean the water. It was because of its color that the lake was previously called Luc Tui, which translates as “Green Water”.

In the middle of the lake, on a small island, the Turtle Tower rises. It was built in the 19th century by order of a rich mandarin. Rumor has it that it was built in honor of a turtle, but some believe that a wealthy mandarin built it to bury his father's ashes. Because of these rumors, a scandal even broke out, but they decided to leave the tower anyway - it harmonizes very well with the overall landscape.

Temple of the Lake of the Returned Sword

There is a small island on the lake that can be reached via a red bridge. On it stands the Ngoc Son Temple, built in honor of Saint Van Suong, revered in Vietnam's literary circles and in honor of the hero Hung Dao, who led the Vietnamese people against the Yuan invaders.

In the evenings, you can sit on a bench and watch the emerald expanse of Hoan Kiem, and also join in the evening exercises that almost all the locals do at the same time.

This is one of the most beautiful sights in Hanoi. The name Hoan Kiem translates as Lake of the Returned Sword. It is located in the very heart of Hanoi. In general, this part of the city is very popular among tourists, as most of the hotels, hostels and restaurants are concentrated here.

Many years ago, the lake was part of the local river, but over time it separated from it, becoming a unique, distinctive place.

Vietnamese legend of Hoan Kiem Lake

Hoan Kiem Lake is loved by absolutely all tourists, even those who didn’t like the city at all. When you arrive here, they will tell you an old local legend about it. All the residents of the city say that Hoan Kiem is home to a giant turtle that no one has ever seen. According to legend, during the war, she came out of a pond and gave a sword to the famous Vietnamese hero - Le Loy. It was then that the turtle saved the entire people, managing to help in the fight against the Chinese. After completely defeating the enemies, she reappeared from the lake and returned the sword.

Most people believe that the turtle is over 300 years old and is a soft-shell type. Some even say that five years ago she was caught, examined and released back into the wild.

It is surprising that the water in Hoan Kiem is always green. And this is not due to lush vegetation, since it is constantly cleared. But be that as it may, scientists have not been able to provide a clear explanation of this unusual effect. Because of its green color, the lake was previously even called Luke Tui, which translates as Green Water.

And in the very center of the lake there is a tower called the Turtle. It was erected back in the 19th century at the request of a rich mandarin in honor of that same mythical turtle. But there is a rumor that the ashes of the mandarin’s father are actually kept there. When this was proven, a big scandal broke out, but the building was not demolished, since it fit well into the surrounding landscape.

Temple on the Lake

There is a temple on a tiny island on the lake. You can get to it via a bridge laid from the shore. It was founded in honor of three outstanding personalities of that time: the keeper of literature, the hero of Vietnam and the architect of the temple. At the entrance you can see a beautiful gate painted with signs denoting happiness and prosperity.

A little further away there is a monument to a writing brush, erected in honor of the patron of literature. The inside of the temple is incredibly beautiful and decorated with drawings of animals that represent something special. You definitely won’t pass by the red horse, erected in honor of the personal horse of the main imperial military leader. By the way, the statue of the military leader was installed in the same temple.

Hoan Kiem Lake is the most pleasant and cozy place in the city. Numerous benches and gazebos were installed around the lake and all the lawns were planted with flowers. Every evening everyone gathers by the lake and does exercises to the accompaniment of beautiful melodic music. Vacationers, when they see this action, are very surprised, but join in with pleasure. Almost all over the city at the same time you can find residents practicing.

All streets of Hanoi lead to the lake

They are so beautiful that tourists love to wander around them in the evenings. During the day there are shops and shops here. The prices are quite low, but no one forbade haggling. By the way, it’s customary for them when tourists bargain, so you don’t have to be afraid and feel free to try to reduce the price.

In the shops you will be able to buy national clothes, shoes, souvenirs, dishes and much more. But you should watch your wallet, as there are quite a lot of thieves here.

Photos of the lake

 

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