The Hoan Kiem Turtle (Rafetus leloii) is a species of turtle from Southeast Asia. Its status as a distinct species is questionable, with the most recent review strongly suggesting Rafetus leloii is a synonym of Rafetus swinhoei
Mythology
Stories of the Hoan Kiem Turtle began in the fifteenth century with Lê Lợi, who became an emperor of Vietnam and founder of the Le Dynasty. According to legend, Le Loi had a magic sword given to him by Kim Qui, the Golden Turtle God. One day, not long after the Chinese had accepted Vietnam's independence, Le Loi was out boating on a lake in Hanoi. Suddenly a large turtle surfaced, took the sword from Le Loi, and dove back into the depths. Efforts were made to find both the sword and the turtle, but without success. Le Loi then acknowledged the sword had gone back to the Golden Turtle God and renamed the lake Hoan Kiem Lake (or Ho Guom Lake), "The Lake of the Returned Sword".
Rediscovery
Near the northern shore of Hoan Kiem Lake lies Jade Island, on which the Ngoc Son Temple (Jade Mountain Temple) is located. On June 2, 1967 a Hoan Kiem Turtle died, and was preserved and placed on display in the temple. That particular specimen weighed 200kg (440 lbs) and measured 1.9 meters long (6ft 3in). Until that time, no one was sure if the species still lived.
Professor Ha Dinh Duc gave the Hoan Kiem Turtle its scientific name, Rafetus leloii.
On March 24, 1998 an amateur cameraman caught the creature on video, conclusively proving the the elusive creatures still survived in the lake. Prior to its recent rediscovery, the turtles were thought to be only a legend and were classified as cryptozoological.
As of 2008, three Hoam Kiem Turtles are in captivity, two of them in Chinese zoos. Another is being taken care of in the Hoan Kiem Lake.
