The story of the "Precious Turtle in Sacred Land" is told by Ho Guom Lake.

Nine years after the book "Stories by Hoan Kiem Lake," journalist Ha Hong – "the storyteller by Hoan Kiem Lake" – continues to release the work "The Precious Turtle in Sacred Land." Maintaining the familiar book format as a deliberate continuation, the book opens up more perspectives on Hoan Kiem Lake, especially on the Hoan Kiem Lake Turtle – "Grandpa Turtle" where "the soul of the mountains and rivers has resided for a thousand years," fulfilling the expectations of Hanoi lovers.

While "Stories from Ho Guom Lake" is a broader diary of the cultural space around the lake, "Precious Turtles in Sacred Land" focuses on a special "character": the Ho Guom Lake turtle – a creature associated with legend, history, spirituality, and scientific research for decades.

The book "Precious Turtles in Sacred Land" by journalist Ha Hong. Photo: Thuy Du

Journalist Ha Hong shared that, in Vietnamese folklore, the four mythical creatures – dragon,麒麟 (qilin), turtle, and phoenix – are known as the Four Sacred Animals, but only the turtle is a real animal. Turtles appear frequently in fairy tales and folk stories, especially the legend of King Le Loi returning his sword to the divine turtle in Luc Thuy Lake after defeating the invading army. From then on, Luc Thuy Lake was renamed Hoan Kiem Lake or Sword Lake.

For centuries, the giant turtles living in Ho Guom Lake – a place where the "soul of the mountains and rivers resides" – have not only conveyed the message of our ancestors about the glorious history of fighting foreign invaders, but also the message of the nation's aspiration for peace. The Ho Guom turtles hold special cultural, spiritual, and scientific value.

Living near Hoan Kiem Lake and having worked for over 30 years at the Nhan Dan Newspaper, located right next to the lake, journalist Ha Hong never missed a day without taking a few walks around the lake to enjoy this sacred and wonderful space. With his professional instincts, he always maintained the habit of taking photos and documenting every event that took place around the lake. He created a website about Hoan Kiem Lake, writing, taking photos, and posting thousands of news articles and tens of thousands of pictures about things happening around the lake.

Because of his love and attachment to the "heart of the capital," journalist Ha Hong was appreciated and cared for by the security forces around Hoan Kiem Lake, who facilitated his presence at events related to the lake and the "Giant Turtle." Whenever the "Giant Turtle" surfaced, journalist Ha Hong was notified and immediately arrived to photograph it along with the people admiring it.

The book "Precious Turtles in Sacred Land," published by Hanoi Publishing House, is 408 pages long and tells approximately 140 stories in words and includes 800 photographs taken by the author himself, documenting the scenery and people around Ho Guom Lake whenever the turtle surfaced; the days "Grandpa Turtle" basked in the sun by the Turtle Tower; the time of its treatment; the process of preparing a specimen after "Grandpa Turtle" passed away on January 19, 2016; the journey to bring the specimen back to Ngoc Son Temple; and even the story of searching for the Rafetus swinhoei turtle species that was discovered in the vicinity of Hanoi in 1914.

Author Ha Hong (left) stands beside a turtle specimen discovered in 1914 in an area near Hanoi, currently housed at the Vienna Natural History Museum (Austria). Photo: Provided by the author.

The author maintains a writing style of "narrating without inventing" (truthfully recounting events without creating anything new). The short articles, simple photo captions, and numerous everyday details make the book resemble a documentary about the Ho Guom turtle and related issues over 26 years (from 1998 to 2024).

Regarding "The Precious Turtle in Sacred Land," poet Vu Quan Phuong wrote: "I don't know what genre to call this book. I only know that thanks to it, we too are uplifted by the legendary inspiration of history right in the midst of everyday life. This book is a journalistic genre for the reader. But for the writer, it is a kind of diary. I read it and saw 'Grandpa Turtle' from afar, but I also saw journalist Ha Hong very close, as if he were talking to me, sometimes I could even hear the journalist's hurried breathing."

When mentioning the Hoan Kiem Lake Turtle, it's impossible to overlook Associate Professor Dr. Ha Dinh Duc, who has contributed significantly to the protection of the Hoan Kiem Lake environment in general and the Hoan Kiem Lake Turtle in particular. In this book, journalist Ha Hong also mentions Associate Professor Dr. Ha Dinh Duc several times and affirms: "He is the person who inspired me with my love for this cultural land and the Hoan Kiem Lake Turtle."

For Associate Professor Dr. Ha Dinh Duc, the book is also a part of his memories of his close relationship with journalist Ha Hong during the years of researching the Ho Guom turtle. Associate Professor Dr. Ha Dinh Duc recounted that he had accompanied journalist Ha Hong to the Turtle Tower many times, monitoring the treatment process for "Grandpa Turtle," and then accompanying him during the time the specimen was being prepared at the Vietnam Museum of Nature. "Thank you, Ha Hong, for meticulously documenting the memories of 'Grandpa Turtle' to serve as archival material in the Ho Guom Cultural Space," Associate Professor Dr. Ha Dinh Duc wrote.

The book concludes with journalist Ha Hong's journey to the Vienna Natural History Museum in distant Austria in 2024, to see firsthand the turtle specimen discovered in 1914 in an area near Hanoi. This artifact sheds light on the origins of the Hoan Kiem Lake turtle.

Going beyond the scope of a typical photo book or collection of articles, "Precious Turtles in Sacred Land" helps readers and today's generation connect the past and the present, "suggesting to those with a love for their ancestors and nation thoughts and initiatives for preservation and restoration, and also serving as a source for future artistic creations on that theme," as poet Vu Quan Phuong expressed.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/ben-ho-guom-ke-chuyen-rua-quy-noi-dat-thieng-749110.html