Legendary turtle surfaces after Vietnam's communists meet

A 1.9 Meter turtle... IN A LAKE!

From: http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=49453

Quote:

Legendary turtle surfaces after Vietnam's communists meet

Hanoi: A legendary giant turtle living in the central lake of Vietnam's capital surfaced as the country's ruling Communist Party ended its recent national congress, local press reported Wednesday.

Vietnamese state-controlled media were quick to imply that the appearance of the turtle, seen by some as a reincarnation of an ancient god, was a sign to hail the recent 10th Communist Party Congress, which ended Tuesday morning.

The turtle, reported as long as 1.9 m, surfaced in Hoan Kiem lake in the heart of Hanoi early Tuesday morning and swam around a Buddhist temple located on an island in the lake, according to an article Wednesday on the website of Tien Phong (Pioneer) newspaper.

"It's such a coincidence that the giant turtle of Hoan Kiem lake surfaced again on the closing day of the 10th Party Congress," the article said. "Previously, the turtle surfaced on April 18, when the congress opened."

The turtle has an uncanny knack for appearing at key points in Vietnamese history and politics, and its supposed blessings upon state decisions are often reported in state press.

The giant turtle - believed to be a rare and possibly unique species of soft-shell turtle - is a key part of Hanoi lore surrounding Hoan Kiem lake.

The name Hoan Kiem means Returned Sword, after a legend that in the 1400s King Le Loi returned a divine sword he had used to fight off Chinese invaders.

Celebrating his victory with a cruise on the lake, Le Loi was confronted by the golden turtle god Kim Qui, who reclaimed the sword and disappeared underwater with it.

For years, the Hoan Kiem turtle was believed by many to be a myth on par with the Loch Ness monster in Scotland.

But professor Ha Dinh Duc has devoted his life to studying and photographing the real turtle, which he says may be related to another giant turtle species in China.

Duc, a scientist at the Hanoi National Conservation Association, says he believes there is only one of the giant turtle left in Hoan Kiem lake and fears it may be the last of its kind.

He called for more study of the species, and has persuaded Hanoi authorities to ban fishing and stop flowing sewage into the lake to try to protect it.

Though Duc has devoted his life to studying the real turtle, even he is intrigued by the legend - especially the creature's conveniently significant surfacing schedule.

"It's not by chance that people think the turtle's surfaces signify the important events. It is an inexplicable coincidence," Duc said this week over the phone.

"How can we explain such a clear-cut coincidence? Might it be biological phenomena? We need to have more observations," he added.