The Hoan Kiem Lake — Hồ Hoàn Kiếm
Do you know The Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi City, Socialist Republic of Vietnam?
There are six major districts in Hanoi. The six are “Quận Hoàn Kiếm”, “Quận Ba Đình”, “Quận Đống Đa”, “Quận Hai Bà Trưng”, “Quận Tây Hồ”, and “Quận Cầu Giấy”. Each one has its own characteristics, but the first one mentioned, “Quận Hoàn Kiếm”, is The Hoan Kiem Lake. As the name suggests, The Hoan Kiem Lake is written as “Hồ Hoàn Kiếm” in Vietnamese and “還剣湖” (meaning “Lake where the sword returned”) in Chinese. Now a scenic spot, this lake is said to be the resting place of the legendary turtle that saved Vietnam from Chinese invasion. The Hoan Kiem Lake is deeply connected to Vietnam’s history.
[Simple chronology of Vietnam]111–938 BC
It was called the Northern Province period, and was under the control of China (from the 漢 dynasty to the 唐 dynasty at the time).
938–1884
It was repeatedly invaded by China. The Chinese dynasties at the time (元, 明, and 清) aimed to directly rule northern Vietnam, asserting their rights as suzerains and continuing to intervene.
1884–1945
Vietnam was invaded by France, which was trying to colonize Vietnam, and became a protectorate of France.
During World War II, the Japanese army moved into northern French Indochina, and the region was temporarily placed under Japanese control instead of France. After Japan surrendered in World War II in 1945, Ho Chi Minh established a government and declared independence, but the country was affected by the Cold War.
1945–1976
The conflict between socialist and capitalist countries in the world is intensifying, and Vietnam is divided into the north and south. On July 2, 1976, the North and South were reunified and the current Socialist Republic of Vietnam was born.
Although it is a simple history, as you can see from this history, you can see that Vietnam has continued to be invaded by other countries. Among them, The Hoan Kiem Lake is associated with the long period of the independent dynasty. This period of independent dynasty was by no means a peaceful era, and the country was repeatedly invaded by China.
There was once a dynasty in Vietnam called the Li Dynasty. This dynasty lasted for about 150 years, from 1532 to 1789, and its first emperor was a man called Lê Lợi(黎 利). Dissatisfied with the interference of 明 Dynasty of China at the time, he waged guerrilla warfare and forced 明 army to retreat, eventually restoring independence in 1428 and establishing the Li Dynasty. In other words, he is a hero who prevented invasion and domination from China. Legend has it that the hero used a magic sword called the Thuận Thiên Kiếm(順天剣) when repelling 明 army.
It is said that Thuận Thiên Kiếm(順天剣) was a sword bestowed upon it by a spirit living in a lake, and when it was pulled out of its sheath, it was imbued with a mysterious power, causing 明 army to lose their will to fight and flee in panic. After the war, this magic sword was entrusted to a turtle, believed to be a messenger of spirits, and returned to the lake. Thuận Thiên Kiếm(順天剣), the legendary magic sword, as the lake where the sword was returned, the lake came to be called The Hoan Kiem Lake.
Near the north shore of this lake, 玉山祠(Đền Ngọc Sơn) was built in the 18th century. It enshrines figures such as 陳興道(Chen Xingdao) and 文昌帝(Wenchang Emperor), who were active in the battle against 元 in the 13th century. The Hoan Kiem Lake has a history of Vietnam’s continued struggle against invasion from China.
How would you feel if you thought that your country was burdened with a culture that was invaded by another country? And how do you think your patriotism would develop if you were born in a country that was founded successfully and resisted many invasions?
