A ceremony to mark the 585 th anniversary of King Le Thai To’s coronation was held at the monument dedicated to the King on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi on May 24.

The event was attended by former Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu, Hanoi Party Committee Secretary Pham Quang Nghi, representatives of ministries and branches, Hoan Kiem district’s residents and descendants of the Le family in the capital, among others.

Addressing the ceremony, leaders of Hoan Kiem district highlighted the contributions made by King Le Thai To, or Le Loi, to the liberation of Dong Quan citadel (now Hanoi ).

The participants then offered incense to the statue of the King and at Nam Huong communal house. More than 900 people joined a traditional procession around Hoan Kiem Lake to commemorate the King.

After the procession, arts troupes recaptured the image of the King through the performances “King Le comes to the throne” and “Sword-returning festival”.

In 1407, the Ming dynasty in China sent 80,000 troops to invade Vietnam . After occupying Dong Do citadel, they renamed it Dong Quan and called Vietnam Giao Chi district. In 1418, Le Loi rose up in arms in the mountainous area of Lam Son (in today’s central province of Thanh Hoa ). After ten years, Le Loi and his insurgent army forced the invaders to surrender. He took the throne in 1428.-VNA