Built in honor of the local folk hero Le Loi who liberated the Vietnamese from Chinese forces in 1425, the Tortoise Tower is one of Hanoi's most famous tourist attractions. It was built on a small island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake in 1886, symbolizing the National pride and unity of the Vietnamese people. This tower was named to commemorate the legend of the magical golden turtle who is believed to live in the lake and to have given a magical sword to Lou Loi to enable him to claim Hanoi from the Chinese.