Located in the city center, Hoan Kiem Lake is a beautiful place for you to escape the noise of the city. The lake named after the legend of precious sword returning in the reign of Le Loi King. During the war against the Minh invader, King Le Thai To was given a precious sword by golden turtle in the lake. With this sword, the King finally defeated the Ming invader after 10 year and brought freedom to his country. One day, while boating on Luc Thuy Lake, the turtle cam towards him and asked for returning the sword, it immediately grabbed the sword and submerged. After that the King understood that the god had lent him the priceless word to drive back the enemy, but now it was the time to return the sword to the god. Hence, the King named the lake Hoan Kiem or the Lake of Returned Sword.
The Lake is not only telling its history, it is also a unique lake in its complex which could not be found in elsewhere. The Tortoise Tower and Ngoc Son Temple are the highlights of the Lake with a lot of thing to see and explore. If you are lucky, you may catch sight of some giant turtles emerging out of the water. Hoan Kiem Lake becomes a sacred place due to home to turtles – the holy animal in Vietnamese culture (along with Dragon, Unicorn and Phoenix). The lake is a pride of Hanoians and a must-visit place for travelers in every trip to Hanoi.
