Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Hanoi, Vietnam (folk tale)

The Lake of the Returned Sword

Folklore — not a documented case

In the lake at the heart of Hanoi, a golden turtle is said to have reclaimed a sacred sword lent to a 15th-century king. The giant turtles that lived in the lake became a living symbol of the legend.

Hoàn Kiếm Lake in the very centre of Hanoi takes its name, 'Lake of the Returned Sword', from one of Vietnam's best-loved legends.

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The stories in this section are folk tales and legends; they are not verified, real events and should not be confused with the rest of the archive.

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