Flying Dragons & Thieving Turtles: Hanoi's Founding
Originally, at its prehistorical founding as Thang Long, Hanoi was called "the Ascending Dragon." The dragon that ascended, so the story goes, created civilization as we know it along the Red River Valley, and then plunged to his sleep in Halong Bay, thereby creating the grand karst slopes -- today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The dragon is the symbol of the city, and you'll find references to it wherever you go.
Hanoi's other important creation myth is one oddly echoed by the legendary tale of King Arthur and his rise to the throne after receiving the sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake. "Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government," says Eric Idle's character in Monty Python's spoof of the Arthur legend, and Hanoi's mandate granted by a giant turtle in Hoan Kiem is equally ridiculous, but a great one for putting the kids to bed at night.
Le Loi, the first king of a united Viet people, asked the powers in heaven to help him vanquish the Chinese in the 2nd century A.D. His answer came from a giant turtle that rose from the depths of Hoan Kiem Lake and offered him the sword that he would use to drive the Chinese out. (Vietnamese history is full of valiant tales about driving the Chinese out.) When Le Loi returned to the lake to give thanks, the turtle rose again out of the water and took a firm jaw hold of the sword and dragged it to the watery depths, a sign that the citizens could lay down their arms and the city would prosper in peace. The turtle fooled old Le Loi, because the Vietnamese would suffer under Chinese oppression for centuries to come. The myth is best depicted at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. And keep an eye out for a unique breed of lake turtles -- you'll see them basking on the central island. See the section on Hoan Kiem for details on the lake's temples and sights, and note that most addresses in this chapter are given in relation to the lake, so you should get to know it during your stay in the Vietnamese capital.
