Overview

This temple sits on a small island on the north end of Hoan Kiem Lake. These days, souvenir and art shops take up as much space as the historic and religious displays. Even so, the island is a nice place to escape the noisy streets that surround the lake. The temple honors some scholars and military heroes, but perhaps its most interesting draw is a preserved turtle corpse. This turtle was found in 1968, and some believe it old enough to be the legendary turtle of the lake's mythology.