Hanoi (VNA/VNS) - A proposal tobuild a statue of a turtle beside Ho Guom (the Sword Lake), located in theheart of the capital city, was submitted to the Hanoi People’s Committee at theend of March. Not just an icon of the ancientcapital, the lake is considered a sacred place in the hearts of Vietnamese forits connection to the legend of King Le Loi, one of the country’s heroes whodefeated Chinese invaders with a holy sword given to him by the gods. He laterreturned the sword to the lake – now known as Sword Lakein downtown Hanoi – and a giant turtle took it before disappearing under thewater. The king’s reign ended and hisempire eventually crumbled but the legend remains a part of local lore. Thelake continues to remind Vietnamese of the courage and determination of theirforefathers in the fight to safeguard the country’s sovereignty andindependence. Any changes proposed for the lake’s surrounding area alwaysattract a lot of attention from the public, and often severe criticism. Author of the proposal Ta HongQuan, a resident of Hanoi, was well aware of that fact. “My hope is that the capital mayget another cultural landmark. I knew the idea will attract a lot of criticismbut it comes from my love for the city as a resident,” Quân told the Vietnam News Agency. “From the stories of King An DuongVuong (a giant turtle helped the king build the Co Loa Citadel to defendagainst northern invaders in 200BC) to Le Loi, the material is there for us tocreate a unique spiritual symbol for Hanoi,” he added.   Quan noted that many countrieshave animals as their national symbol and as of now Vietnam has yet to decideon one. He also clarified somemisunderstandings regarding his proposal. “Some people think it’s made ofgold and that will be a huge waste but my proposal is that the statue to bemade of copper covered in a layer of gold. Also, it will be around the size ofa small car (not taller than 2.5 metres).” “I’m just trying to put the ideaout there. Once approved, a contest should be held to select the most pleasingdesign,” he added. Quan’s idea was received withenthusiasm by some of the country’s prominent scholars including President ofthe Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences Phan Huy Le, Prof. and turtleexpert Ha Dinh Duc and historian Duong Trung Quoc. Quoc, however, said cityauthorities must consult with the public and experts in related fields tounderstand the repercussions of such a project.  

Criticism

Making a beautiful statue mayprove to be a challenge, however, according to President of the Vietnam FineArts Association painter Tran Khanh Chuong. Chuong said a turtle’s naturalpose is lying flat. “From a sculptor’s point of view, this is very difficult towork with,” he said. Aesthetic considerations aside,promoting the turtle as the city’s spiritual symbol may require furtherdiscussion. Turtles and snakes are animalsassociated with floods and therefore, often held in contempt by farmers, saidProf. Tran Lam Ben, a cultural expert. “My question is why the changeof heart now? The turtle is one of the four sacred animals often seen intemples. Personally, I don’t think it’s appropriate to put it by Sword Lake,which is already an iconic cultural landmark of the country,” Ben said. For the time being, the proposalis on ice. A recent announcement by the capital’s culture department said ithas not received any instructions on how to proceed with Quan’s proposal fromcity authorities. Head of the city’s culturedepartment To Huy Dong said there are already two large turtle replicaspreserved at the Ngoc Son Temple as well as a four-ton ceramic turtle statuemade for the occasion of the capital’s 1,000th anniversary in 2010. His deputy Truong Minh Tien alsocommented on the matter, saying the city already has a symbol, the Temple ofLiterature. “The lake is special. Each andevery project must be carefully considered. The city will also listen to thepublic’s wishes and expert opinions,” Tien said. Recent ideas regarding SwordLake that drew a lot of flak from the public, as well as the press, included aHollywood-style Walk of Fame and a statue of King Kong, a mythical creaturefeatured in the latest Hollywood blockbuster Kong: Skull Island, whichwas filmed in Vietnam.-VNA/VNS