!!!Hanoi, Vietnam
Photos by [Dmitry Moiseenko|https://www.facebook.com/dmitry.moiseenko] and
[Stanislav Sedov|http://rccam.livejournal.com],
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\
17 June 2020
with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]
The main city of Vietnam, Hanoi, was founded back in the 5th century.
The current name was given to the city in 1831 and originated from the
Vietnamese words Hà ("river") and Nội ("inside"). This name well
reflects the position of the city between the rivers Hồng Hà (the Red
River) and Tô Lịch.
[{Image src='01_Hanoi.jpg' caption='Hoàn Kiếm Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword)\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='575'}]
Among Hanoi's greatest landmarks, there is the Presidential Palace, the
Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, the Ho Chi Minh Museum and many others.
In addition to the rivers, Hanoi is proud of its lakes. The largest
lake, Hồ Tây (West Lake), is located in the northwest centre of Hanoi.
Its shore is occupied by temples and palaces. But the most interesting
and mysterious lake of this area is Hoàn Kiếm or "Lake of the Returned
Sword".
[{Image src='02_Hanoi.jpg' caption='Hoàn Kiếm Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword)\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='575'}]
Previously, it was named Lục Thủy, meaning "Green Water Lake". According
to the legend, in early 1428, Emperor Lê Lợi was boating on the lake and
saw a Golden Turtle God. It surfaced and asked for his magic sword. Lợi
concluded that Golden Turtle God had come to reclaim the sword Heaven's
Will that its master, a local God, the Dragon King (Long Vuong) had
given Lợi sometime earlier to defeat Ming China. Having successfully
finished fighting the Chinese, the Emperor managed to bring the Lê
dynasty back to life. He returned to the lake and gave the sword back to
the turtle. The sword spun a semicircle over the lake, the turtle took
it right in its mouth and went under the water, while Lê i named the
lake in honour of this sword.
[{Image src='03_Hanoi.jpg' caption='Hoàn Kiếm Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword)\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='575'}]
Turtles of the species Rafetus swinhoei had been sighted in the lake for
centuries. It is also named Rafetus leloii in honour of the emperor.
These turtles are identified by their soft shells and huge dimensions:
they could be measured up to 2 meters long with a weight of around 200
kg. Unfortunately, last known turtle was found dead in 2016.
On a southern island of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, the Turtle Tower (Tháp Rùa) was
built in 1886. The tower contains three mummies of Rafetuses that once
inhabited the waters of Green Lake.
[{Image src='04_Hanoi.jpg' caption='Tortoise Tower in the South of Hoàn Kiếm Lake\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='575'}]
Just near the northern shore, there is the Temple of the Jade Mountain
(Đền Ngọc Sơn) built in the 19th century on Jade Islet. The temple is
dedicated to Trần Hưng Đạo, the national hero and the military leader
who fought the Mongols thrice during their attacks on Vietnam. From the
shore, the Welcoming Morning Sunlight Bridge (Cầu Thê Húc) leads to the
islet.
[{Image src='05_Hanoi.jpg' caption='Hanoi from above\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='575'}]
Hoàn Kiếm Lake is a genuine historical and cultural landmark of Vietnam.
It is a picturesque scene by daylight, while the evening illumination
enhances the charm of this place. Take a walk around and enjoy the
legendary sites together with AirPano!
[{Image src='06_Hanoi.jpg' caption='Hoan Kiem Lake at night\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='320'}]
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[5 panoramas of Hanoi|Geography/Asia/Vietnam/Pictures/Hanoi]
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