Case file · Folklore / legend
Death of Cụ Rùa
The giant soft-shell turtle of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, revered as the descendant of the turtle of the sword legend, was found dead on 19 January 2016, on the eve of the Communist Party congress; many read it as an omen.
2016 CE · 21.03, 105.85 · status: official
The account
It was one of the last few known Yangtze giant softshell turtles (Rafetus swinhoei).