“A favourite tale that was always told by those travelling performers, and the one you can often see today at Thang Long Theatre as well, is the legend of Le Loi. He was an emperor who most definitely existed, and in many ways was the person to bring together for the first time all the many lands and lords that forever after have been the country of Viet Nam. He did it in spectacular and cunning fashion by vanquishing the dreaded Ming dynasty invaders from China to the north.
Le Loi made his palace and grounds around Ho Hoan Kien, and often paddled his boat around its shores. It was said that Le Loi got much of his power from a magical sword given to him by a giant turtle.
However, the story goes that after he had defeated the Chinese, the turtle confronted him in the lake and took back the sword, grasping it in his mouth and then diving into the depths. In the centre of the lake there is still the Turtle Pagoda (Tháp Rùa), the symbol of Ha Noi. Ho Hoan Kien means “Lake of the Returned Sword”.”