Traditional opening ceremony of Thanh Mai pagoda

The second patriarch Phap Loa, whose secular name was Dong Kien Cuong, was born in the year of Giap Than (1284) in Dong Hoa village, Cuu La commune, Nam Sach (now Ai Quoc ward, Hai Duong city). In the 13th year of Hung Long (1304), when the Buddha King Tran Nhan Tong visited Cuu La commune, Dong Kien Cuong came to pay homage and was allowed to follow him to practice and study Buddhism, and was given the name Hi Lai. Before the Buddha King Tran Nhan Tong passed away, he gave Phap Loa the right to inherit the career of the Truc Lam Zen sect, becoming the second patriarch of this Zen sect.

In the second year of Khai Huu (1330), Phap Loa fell ill and continued to pass on the treasures to Huyen Quang, the third successor of the Truc Lam Zen sect. On the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month, Phap Loa passed away at Quynh Lam monastery and his relics were placed in a tower behind Thanh Mai pagoda.

Thanh Mai Pagoda was built in the 14th century on the slope of Thanh Mai Mountain, Hoang Hoa Tham Commune. Thanh Mai Pagoda is a famous landscape, a Buddhist center of the Tran Dynasty, along with a system of pagodas in the Northeast arc such as: Yen Tu - Quynh Lam - Con Son - Bao An and Vinh Nghiem.

Today, the pagoda still preserves many ancient towers, including Thanh Mai Vien Thong stupa, which is recognized as a national treasure. In 1992, Thanh Mai pagoda was recognized as a national cultural relic.

Thanh Mai Pagoda Festival takes place from the 1st to the 3rd of the 3rd lunar month every year.