Was the Hoan Kiem turtle a legendary turtle?
Hoan Kiem Lake (the Lake of the Returned Sword), in the heart of Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, had a legend that a sacred giant turtle lived in it. In the 15th century, Le Loi, the hero who defeated the Ming (Chinese) army that ruled Vietnam, is said to have returned a heaven-sent sword to a golden turtle that appeared while he was boating on the lake. The lake’s name, “Returned Sword” (Hoan Kiem), comes from this legend.
How it was discovered and confirmed
Giant turtles were known to surface occasionally on Hoan Kiem Lake and were thought to be descendants of the legendary turtle. When researchers investigated in the 20th century, it turned out to be one of the world’s largest softshell turtles, with a shell more than 1 meter long. In 2011, a large-scale capture operation was carried out to rescue a weakened, injured turtle and give it treatment.
What we know today
The turtle in the lake is thought to be a Yangtze giant softshell turtle (or a close relative), once found in the Yangtze and elsewhere; only a few individuals are known in the world, making it one of the turtles closest to extinction. The last turtle of Hoan Kiem Lake died in 2016, and its preserved body is on display. The legendary turtle was real, but it is also a creature now on the verge of disappearing.
