Ancient sacred turtle dies in Vietnam, leading to widespread concerns about…politics

(Image credit: Hoang Dinh Nam/Getty Images)

last updated 22 January 2016

While the United States forecasts the political season with poll numbers and pundits, a different sort of omen has emerged in tumultuous Vietnam: the death of the sacred turtle.

The turtle had lived in Hanoi's central lake for decades at least, with some saying he'd been there for centuries. He represented the tangible embodiment of Cu Rua, "Great-Grandfather Turtle," who loaned out a magical sword to a mythological hero.

But the turtle inconveniently died in a season of debate about Vietnam's standing with China — and on the same day the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry slammed China for sending an oil rig into disputed waters, The New York Times reports. Additionally, the Communist Party's congress has just opened; the timing seems unlucky, and an ominous feeling has fallen for those who'd seen the turtle as a symbol of Vietnam's endurance and independence.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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