The Legendary Hoan Kiem Lake Turtle
Posted by sky | Tags: Animals, extinction, legend, turtle
From Hoan Kiem Lake Turtle: from myth to reality .The turtle and the Ho Hoan Kiem - also called Ho Guom or Lake of the Restored Sword - are very famous, as both the lake and the animal are closely attached to the legend of King Le Loi returning the precious sword to the turtle genius of Ho Luc Thuy (the former name of Ho Guom during that period of time) in the 15th century. Ho Guom’s turtles have been living in the witness of many Hanoians as well as tourists, reminders of the historical pages in the heroic struggle of Vietnam. For all Hanoians, Hoan Kiem’s turtle is a supernatural animal, and is a living treasure of the city. According to Prof Duc, turtles in the lake belong to a soft shell species measuring nearly two metres in length and weighing over 200 kilograms. Few know of the 130 species of the micro-algae family, and 33 endemic species that exist solely in the lake. It is a very rare long surviving animal threatened with extinction. Prof Duc believes the turtle that made off with Le Loi's sword is still living in the lake. That would make it about 550 years old.Cryptomundo.com » Hoan Kiem’s Giant Turtle Previous Post Next Post