Young lovers at the mist-shrouded Hoan Kiem lake in the Old Quarter, Hanoi
The legend of Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of the Restored Sword) goes back to the 15th century when heaven gave Emperor Ly Thai To (Le Loi) a magical sword that he used to drive the Chinese out of Vietnam. One day after the war, while out boating, he came upon a giant golden tortoise swimming on the surface of the water; it grabbed the sword and disappeared into the lake, hence the name - the tortoise returned the sword to its divine owners. Interestingly it is believed there are still giant tortoises in the lake and one, which was caught, is displayed in the small temple on the lake.
The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Independence was declared after World War II, but the French continued to rule until 1954 when they were defeated by Communist forc... ... read more 
