According to the legend, emperor Le Loi handed a magic sword called Heaven's Will which brought him victory in his revolt against the Chinese Ming Dynasty back to the Golden Turtle God (Kim Quy) in the lake and hence gave it its present name (the lake was formerly known as "Luc Thuy" meaning "Green Water"). The Tortoise Tower (Thap Rùa) standing on a small island near the center of lake is linked to the legend.Large soft-shell turtles, either of the species Rafetus swinhoei or a separate species named Rafetus leloii in honor of the emperor, have been sighted in the lake. The species is critically endangered and the number of individuals in the lake is unclear.
Near the northern shore of the lake lies
Jade Island on which the
Ngoc Son Temple (Jade Mountain Temple)
stands. The temple was erected in the
18th century. It honors the 13-century
military leader Tran Hung Dao who
distinguished himself in the fight
against the Yuan Dynasty, Van Xuong, a
scholar, and Nguyen Van Sieu, a
Confucian master and famous writer in
charge of repairs made to the temple in
1864. Jade Island is connected to the
shore by the wooden red-painted Huc
Bridge (The Huc, meaning Morning
Sunlight Bridge). |
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