Turtle Tower

Turtle Tower is a three-story tower on a small island in the center of Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam. The structure combines Vietnamese architectural forms with European colonial influences and rises directly from the water.

The French colonial administration approved construction in 1886 as a replacement for the Ta Vong Temple that had stood on this site since the 17th century. The new structure emerged as part of urban redesign in Hanoi under French rule.

The name honors a golden turtle from the legend of Emperor Le Loi, who returned a magical sword to the Dragon King through this creature. Visitors today see this symbol of the story standing in the middle of the lake, marking where the animal is said to have surfaced.

The tower can be viewed from several points around the lake, with the northern shore offering particularly good sight lines. Morning hours work best for photographs, when the light is soft and less haze obscures the view.

Until 1945, a miniature version of the Statue of Liberty stood on top of the tower before being removed after French colonial rule ended. The tiny monument was an unexpected symbol of French presence in the middle of a Vietnamese lake.