Sword Lake Turtle Tower - Eternal beauty over the years in the "heart" of the Capital

Sword Lake Turtle Tower is a small tower located on an island in the middle of the lake, creating an impressive highlight for the landscape and has long been a symbol of the Capital, appearing in many works of literature, poetry, painting, and music.
Sword Lake Turtle Tower is not only a special highlight in the landscape but also a symbol that marks the image of the Capital in everyone's heart. Although it is familiar, not everyone knows clearly about the history and architecture of the old tower. This information will be revealed through the article, please follow along!

1. Introduction to Sword Lake Turtle Tower

Turtle Tower is a small tower with unique architecture located isolated on an island mound of about 350 square meters in the heart of Hoan Kiem Lake. According to historical records, the name Turtle Tower of Hoan Kiem Lake originates from the fact that the tower was built on turtle island. This is a mound of land rising in the middle of the lake, where Hoan Kiem Lake turtles used to bask in the sun and lay eggs.



The tower has a small scale, elegant architecture, nostalgic beauty, and moss that has become one of the important cultural and historical symbols of the Capital. This beautiful scene is also a favorite photography background for many people when traveling to Hanoi or every time they go to Hoan Kiem Lake walking street.

2.Legend of Sword Lake Turtle Tower

When did the Sword Lake Turtle Tower exist? Legend has it that a monument was built at the turtle island location during the reign of King Le Thanh Tong for him to fish. In the 17th - 18th centuries, Lord Trinh ordered the construction of Ta Vong communal house on a small island mound. However, by the Nguyen Dynasty, no trace of the communal house remained.

During the French colonial period, there was Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Kim, also known as Lord Kim, who held the position of village translator and intermediary between France and Vietnam. He noticed a beautiful feng shui location in the middle of the lake, so he asked permission to build a tower on Turtle mound with the intention of burying his parents' remains.



The tower was built in 1886, but Lord Kim's original plan failed. At that time, the project was called Ba Protect Kim Tower. During the period from 1890 to 1896, the top of Turtle Tower had a version of the Statue of Liberty and was called the Dam Xoe statue by the people. The statue was later demolished.

Regarding the question, who does Sword Lake Turtle Tower worship? Inside the Sword Lake Turtle Tower, there is an altar located close to the west wall, but it is unclear who is worshiped and when it was built. Some rumors suggest that it is the altar of lord father Kim, but this assertion has not been verified.

3. Architectural style of Sword Lake Turtle Tower

Sword Lake Turtle Tower has unique architecture, combining European Gothic style and traditional Vietnamese temple style. The Tower's height from the Turtle mound's ground to the top is 8.8m and includes 4 floors:

• 1st floor: The first floor of the tower has a ground area of ​​6.28m x 4.54m with 10 arched doors. Inside the first floor there are three rooms and 4 interconnected doors.
• 2nd floor: The second floor of the tower is 4.8m long, 3.64m wide and has symmetrical arched doorways with the first floor.
• 3rd floor: The third floor is smaller with a length of 2.97m, a width of 1.9m and has a circular door
• Floor 4: The top of the Turtle Tower is in the form of a gazebo, square with a size of 2m on each side. The roof is designed in a traditional style with delicately sculpted curved knife heads and the image of a dragon flanking the Moon.

The intersection between French architectural art and traditional style has created a Turtle Tower with unique beauty and distinct attraction. Combined with its beautiful location in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake, the tower has become a special and familiar symbol of Hanoi Capital. However, the architecture of Sword Lake Turtle Tower still receives some mixed opinions and is not highly appreciated by experts.



With unique architecture and located in a prime location, Sword Lake Turtle Tower has long become one of the symbols of Hanoi's landscape. The tower not only possesses nostalgic beauty with a unique architectural style but also carries profound historical stories. Hopefully the information shared through the article has helped you better understand the ancient tower and will have an interesting sightseeing journey!