Vietnam: Thap Rua (Tortoise Tower) Ho Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Ho Hoan Kiem means ‘Lake of the Restored Sword’, a body of water that lies at the heart of Hanoi. Until the 15th century it was called Luc Thuy or ‘Green Water’. Legend has it that during the Ming occupation (1407-28), General Le Loi was presented with a magical sword by a divine turtle that lived in the waters. With the help of this sword, Le Loi expelled the Chinese from northern Vietnam and established himself as Emperor Le Thai To. Later, when the emperor was sailing on the lake, the turtle rose to the surface and reclaimed the sword. Ever since it has been known as Ho Hoan Kiem. Thap Rua (Turtle Tower), a small pagoda, was built in the mid-19th century on an islet in the centre of the lake to commemorate this supernatural event, and the structure has since become an icon of Hanoi. According to the prestigious journal Vietnamese Studies, Thap Rua is ‘like the Eiffel Tower to Paris, or the Statue of Liberty to New York’. Every day Radio Hanoi starts its programmes with the song: ‘Wherever we find ourselves at the four points of the compass, our hearts turn to Hanoi; the clear waters of the Lake of the Restored Sword, which mirror the reflection of Turtle Tower’. There is no access to the tiny island.