Hoàn Kiếm, the Lake of the Restored Sword, is in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. The lake lies in the historic center of the city and is also commonly called Sword Lake, or Hồ Gươm in Vietnamese.
Its name comes from a Vietnamese legend about Emperor Lê Lợi, who led a successful revolt against Ming China in the fifteenth century. According to the story, a golden turtle surfaced while the emperor was boating and reclaimed a magical sword that had helped him win the struggle. Lê Lợi then renamed the lake Hoàn Kiếm, meaning “returned sword” or “restored sword.”
The lake is closely associated with Ngọc Sơn Temple and Turtle Tower, a small structure on an island near its center. It is a major public gathering place and one of Hanoi’s best-known landmarks.
Travelers sometimes confuse Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest city. Hoàn Kiếm is firmly associated with Hanoi in northern Vietnam, not Ho Chi Minh City in the south.