Who they were
Lê Lợi was a landowner of Lam Sơn in Thanh Hóa. In 1418 he rose against the Ming occupation, beginning a decade of guerrilla war with the scholar Nguyễn Trãi as his political strategist.
What they did
His movement grew from mountain survival into a national army, sealed victory at Chi Lang-Xuong Giang in 1427, and negotiated the Ming withdrawal. Crowned in 1428 as Le Thai To, he restored the state of Đại Việt, demobilized soldiers to the fields, and distributed land.
Legacy
He is remembered as a liberation hero-king. By legend, a magic sword lent by heaven for the war was reclaimed after victory by a golden turtle in the lake at the capital — hence Hoàn Kiếm, “Lake of the Returned Sword.” The dynasty he founded spanned, at least in name, three and a half centuries.