Hoàn Kiếm Lake - Wikipedia

Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam For the eponymous district of Hanoi, Vietnam, see Hoàn Kiếm district.

Hoàn Kiếm Lake
Sword Lake
Hồ Hoàn Kiếm/ Hồ Gươm (Vietnamese)
Turtle Tower (Tháp Rùa) in the center of the lake
Hoàn Kiếm Lake
Location	Hoàn Kiếm Ward, Hàng Khay Street, Hanoi
Coordinates	21°01′44″N 105°51′09″E / 21.02889°N 105.85250°E / 21.02889; 105.85250
Basin countries	Vietnam
Max. length	700 m (2,300 ft)[1]
Max. width	250 m (820 ft)[1]
Surface area	115,511 m2 (1,243,350 sq ft)[2]
Average depth	1.2 m (3.9 ft)
Max. depth	2 m (6.6 ft)
References	[1] [2]

Hoàn Kiếm Lake (Vietnamese: Hồ Hoàn Kiếm, chữ Hán: 湖還劍, meaning "Lake of the Returned Sword" or "Lake of the Restored Sword"), also known as Sword Lake (Hồ Gươm) or Tả Vọng Lake (Hồ Tả Vọng), is a fresh water lake, measuring some 12 ha in the historical center of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.

In the past, the lake was variously named "Lục Thủy Lake" (Vietnamese: Hồ Lục Thủy, meaning "Green Water Lake" - aptly named for the water's color) or "Thủy Quân Lake" (Vietnamese: Hồ Thủy Quân, meaning "Mariner's Lake"). The lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city and serves as a focal point for its public life.

History

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According to the legend, after defeating Ming China, Emperor Lê Lợi was boating on the lake when a Golden Turtle God (Kim Qui) surfaced and asked for his magic sword, Heaven's Will. Lợi concluded that Kim Quy had come to reclaim the sword that its master, a local God, the Dragon King (Long Vương) had given Lợi sometime earlier to defeat Ming China. Later, the Emperor gave the sword back to the turtle after he finished fighting off the Chinese. Emperor Lợi renamed the lake to commemorate this event from its former name Lục Thủy meaning "Green Water". The Turtle Tower (Tháp Rùa) standing on a small island near the center of the lake is linked to the legend. The first name of Hoàn Kiếm lake was Tả Vọng when the Emperor had not given the Magical Sword back to the Golden Turtle God (Cụ Rùa).

Large soft-shell turtles, either of the species Rafetus swinhoei or a separate species named Rafetus leloi in honor of the emperor, had been sighted in the lake for many years. The last known individual was found dead on January 19, 2016. There are three remaining turtles of the species R. swinhoei.

Near the northern shore of the lake lies Jade Islet, on which the Temple of the Jade Mountain (Ngọc Sơn Temple) stands. The temple was erected in the 18th century. It honors the 13th-century military leader Trần Hưng Đạo who distinguished himself in defeating the Mongol invasions of Vietnam thrice; the classic scholar Văn Xương; and Nguyễn Văn Siêu, a famous writer and official who undertook repairs of the temple in 1864. Jade Island is connected to the shore by the wooden Thê Húc Bridge, painted vermillion red. The bridge's name is poetically translated as "Perch of the Morning Sunlight".

Gallery

[edit] A panoramic view of the Hoàn Kiếm Lake by night

• Thê Húc Bridge
• Turtle Tower at night

References

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1. ^ a b c "Hồ Hoàng Kiên" [Hoan Kiem Lake]. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Vietnam (in Vietnamese). 2005. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
2. ^ a b Nguyễn, Khắc Đoài (9 December 2013). "Di tích lịch sử và danh lam thắng cảnh hồ Hoàng Kiến và đền Ngọc Sơn" [Historical and scenic site: Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple]. Department of Cultural Heritage (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 16 May 2024.

External links

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Media related to Hoan Kiem Lake at Wikimedia Commons

• Photos of Hoan Kiem Lake
• Hoan Kiem Lake with Giant Turtle
• Lake of the Restored Sword
• Restored Sword lake featured in Vietnam Tours
• "Giant turtle sightings set Vietnam capital abuzz" - CNN, April 13, 1998
• "10 Quán Ăn Ngon Ở Khu Vực Quận Hoàn Kiếm" - CNN, April 12, 2023
• "Top 7 Quán ăn đặc sắc trên phố Nguyễn Khắc Cần, quận Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội" - CNN, January 12, 2024

v t e Landmarks of Hanoi
Public space	Hoàn Kiếm Lake Turtle Tower Thê Húc Bridge Old Quarter Ba Đình Square Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Labour Square Lenin Park
Historicalmonuments	Feudal Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long Temple of Literature Cổ Loa Citadel Đống Đa Mound Flag Tower of Hanoi Frenchcolonial Hanoi Opera House Grand Palais Long Biên Bridge Hôtel Métropole Presidential Palace (Historical Site) State Guest House Hỏa Lò Prison State Bank Medical College
Nature and parks	Ba Vì National Park West Lake Thiền Quang Lake Trúc Bạch Lake Red River
Religious sites	Buddhist Chiêu Thiền Pagoda Quán Sứ Pagoda One Pillar Pagoda Hương Temple Thầy Temple Trấn Quốc Pagoda Non Nước Pagoda Catholic St. Joseph's Cathedral Cửa Bắc Church Hàm Long Church Phùng Khoang Church Taoist Quán Thánh Temple Ngọc Sơn Temple Other Hai Bà Trưng Temple (Đồng Nhân)
Museums	Museum of Ethnology Museum of Fine Arts Hanoi Museum Ho Chi Minh Museum Vietnam Military History Museum Vietnam National Museum of History Vietnamese Women's Museum Vietnam Museum of Revolution National Library of Vietnam
Shopping	Đồng Xuân Market Bát Tràng ceramic village Hàng Trống painting Ngọc Hà flower village Lệ Mật snake village Vạn Phúc silk village Trang Tien Plaza
Sports	Mỹ Đình National Stadium Hàng Đẫy Stadium Quần Ngựa Sports Palace Hanoi Indoor Games Gymnasium Hanoi Circuit
Modern structures	National Assembly Building Landmark 72 Lotte Center Hanoi National Convention Center Vinhomes Times City
Hotels	Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel de l'Opera Hanoi Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Transport	Noi Bai International Airport Hanoi railway station Hanoi Metro Chương Dương Bridge Thăng Long Bridge Nhật Tân Bridge

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