Hanoi's legendary Hoan Kiem Lake turtle dies

It’s supposed that for as long as any of us have been alive, a large and rare turtle has lived in Hanoi’s downtown Hoan Kiem Lake. It was there when Ho Chi Minh declared independence from the French in 1945. It was there when his forces finally forced the French out in 1954. And when North Vietnam defeated the US-backed South Vietnamese government and reunified the country in 1975.

The turtle, known as Cu Rua - Grandfather Turtle - is woven into the legend of the lake and the city. It’s been a good luck charm of sorts.

Last Tuesday, the turtle died.

For years now there have been concerns that pollution in the lake must be threatening the well-being of the legendary turtle. But it’s not yet known whether the creature’s death was unnatural or caused simply by old age.

It must have been a lonely existence.

Photo: Mark Bowyer Ngoc Son Pagoda, Hoan Kiem Lake - closed off after the turtle was found dead.

This is no ordinary turtle. It’s thought to be have been one of only three or four (depending on where you read) of its kind alive. But in a country that is more likely to devour than revere endangered species, this turtle’s significance is tied up with the nation’s history of struggle against foreign invaders.

This video will give you a sense of the lake’s importance in Vietnam’s national legend.

I was in Hanoi on Tuesday when the turtle died - in fact I passed by Hoan Kiem Lake just before it was discovered, and later that night as well. The timing of the death was inauspicious, coming on the eve of the five-yearly Communist Party Congress.

Vietnamese are very superstitious, so they'll be reading meanings into the passing of the cu rua. Taxi drivers and restaurant staff I spoke with had mixed reactions. Some weren’t terribly fussed. The superstitious viewed it as an portent of something momentous - they didn’t know what. Others were mourning the loss of an enduring symbol of the city.

Photo: Mark Bowyer Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

Hoan Kiem lake is Hanoi’s spiritual heart - and for the local people, the old turtle has been key to to its spirituality.

For me, the magic of Hoan Kiem Lake is in the parade of elderly Hanoians who gather there each day. For a visitor, their presence is part of what gives the lake its unique feel. And it’s one of the best places for people watching in all of Vietnam.

I’ve been photographing Hoan Kiem Lake and the people who gather there, for decades. I even managed to get a distant shot of the old turtle more than a decade ago. Prior to that, I thought it was mythical in every sense.

Hoan Kiem Lake always features in my daily Hanoi walks. And they’re especially pleasant in the cooler, misty days of winter right now.

Here are some pics from those days. The turtle might be gone but the daily gathering of Hanoi’s elderly will ensure the spirit of Hoan Kiem lake lives on.

Photo: Mark Bowyer Dr Khai - 95 at Hoan Kiem Lake

Photo: Mark Bowyer Selling flowers in the rain at midnight - Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

Photo: Mark Bowyer 3 Palestinian students - fluent Vietnamese speakers, at Hoan Kiem Lake late at night.