Turtle Tower - Wikipedia

Historic structure in Hanoi, Vietnam

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21°01′40″N 105°51′08″E / 21.0279°N 105.8523°E / 21.0279; 105.8523

Turtle Tower
Native name Tháp Rùa / 塔𪛇 (Vietnamese)
Interactive map of Turtle Tower
Location	Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Hanoi, Vietnam
Built	1886; 139 years ago (1886)
Architectural styles	Gothic & ancient Vietnamese architecture

The Turtle Tower (Vietnamese: Tháp Rùa / 塔𪛇), also called the Tortoise Tower, is a small tower in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake (Sword Lake) in central Hanoi, Vietnam. It is one of the most iconic, symbolic and most recognizable pieces of architecture representing Hanoi and the entirety of Vietnam.

History

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The island was first used as a fishing site. In the 1400s, under Lê Thánh Tông a tower was built to improve the comfort of the emperor's fishing.[1] In the 17th and 18th centuries, under the Revival Lê dynasty, the Trịnh lords had Tả Vọng Temple built on the islet. In the 18th century, under the Nguyễn lords the temple disappeared.

In 1886, while Vietnam was occupied by the French, Nguyễn Hữu Kim, an intermediary between the Nguyễn and French governments, received permission from the government to build a tower in the middle of Hoàn Kiếm Lake in honor of Lê Lợi, one of the most famous figures of Vietnamese history and one of its greatest heroes. Legends surrounding his life involving the sword, Thuận Thiên and Hoan Kiem turtle are associated with Hoàn Kiếm Lake and the island.

Nguyễn planned to secretly bury his father within the tower. Residents of the city discovered his plans and removed his father's body from the structure. The three-story tower was still completed and was originally named Bá hộ Kim Tower.

In 1890, the French built a miniature Statue of Liberty on top of the tower. In 1945, after French control was overthrown by the Japanese army, the Vietnamese government had the statue removed.[2]

See also

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• Hoan Kiem turtle

References

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1. ^ Trần Độ (Editor-in-chief). Văn hóa Việt Nam. Hà Nội: Ban Văn hóa Văn nghệ Trung ương, 1989. Page 101.
2. ^ "The Story of Hanoi's Statue of Liberty". Saigoneer. 29 May 2016.

External links

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• Media related to Turtle Tower at Wikimedia Commons
• Hồ Hoàn Kiếm
• Tháp Rùa nhìn từ vệ tinh

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