On April 15, 1428, after completely driving the Ming forces from the country following 10 years of arduous resistance, Le Loi was crowned at Dong Quan (Thang Long), founding the Later Le dynasty, adopting the reign name Thuan Thien, and restoring the country's name to Dai Viet. He took the temple name Le Thai To — the first emperor of the longest-lasting dynasty in Vietnamese history.
The Lam Son Uprising (1418–1428), initiated by Le Loi from the forested mountains of Thanh Hoa province, began with only a few hundred fighters but gradually grew into a national army. The strategy of 'using weakness to overcome strength, few against many' was flexibly applied by Le Loi and his advisor Nguyen Trai: guerrilla warfare, exploitation of terrain, and most importantly, winning the hearts of the people — 'The people carry the boat, the people can also capsize it' (Nguyen Trai).
In 1426–1427, the Lam Son forces won decisive consecutive victories at Tot Dong–Chuc Dong (1426) and Chi Lang–Xuong Giang (1427), killing and capturing tens of thousands of Ming troops. General Liu Sheng was killed at Chi Lang pass; Wang Tong was besieged at Dong Quan and forced to negotiate. Nguyen Trai, on behalf of Le Loi, composed the Proclamation of Victory over the Wu (Binh Ngo Dai Cao) — the nation's most stirring declaration of independence — to announce the victory to the world.
The founding of the Later Le dynasty marked a brilliant era in Vietnamese history. The Le dynasty, especially under Le Thanh Tong (1460–1497), brought Dai Viet to its peak in territory, culture, and education: the Hong Duc Legal Code was enacted (1483), the Quoc Tu Giam national university was strengthened, the Confucian examination system was perfected, and a complete national map was drawn for the first time.
The legend of Hoan Kiem Lake is tied to this event: the divine turtle surfaced to reclaim the magical sword that the Dragon King had lent Le Loi to fight the invaders. From that point, the lake was renamed from Luc Thuy to Hoan Kiem — 'Lake of the Returned Sword'. This is Hanoi's most sacred cultural symbol, the heart of the city for centuries and to this day.