Thanh Mai Pagoda was built in the 14th century, located on the slopes of Phat Tich Mountain, also known as Tam Ban Mountain (in Thanh Mai Village, Hoang Hoa Tham Commune, Chi Linh City, Hai Duong Province). This is also a key land associated with the military history of dynasties in the great wars against the Northern invaders.
Thanh Mai Pagoda is a famous place, a Buddhist center under the Tran Dynasty, along with the system of pagodas in the Northeast region such as Yen Tu - Quynh Lam - Con Son - Bao An and Vinh Nghiem. This place is closely associated with the life and career of Zen Master Phap Loa, the second patriarch of the Truc Lam Tam To Zen sect, when he practiced and compiled Buddhist scriptures and books during his lifetime.
Thanh Mai Pagoda has an area of about 16 hectares, is a large worship facility including: three-door gate, stele tower, Buddha hall, ancestral house, mother house, guest house, monk hall and other ancillary works built according to Tran Dynasty architecture.
The main pagoda area has a “T”-shaped architecture consisting of 7 front rooms and 3 back rooms, with crossbeams, beams, and shelves slanted in the style of “stacked beams of eight buckets”. This was a popular architectural style during the Tran Dynasty. Behind is the Ancestor House worshiping the Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam and Vien Thong Bao Thap, which contains the relics of Zen Master Phap Loa after his death.
Nearly 7 centuries have passed, the architecture of the pagoda has been devastated by nature and war, the ancient relics have been almost completely damaged and lost. However, at Thanh Mai pagoda, there are still 7 steles from the Tran and Le dynasties preserved, of which the Thanh Mai Vien Thong Thap Bi stele is the most valuable, engraved and erected in the 5th year of Dai Tri (1362).
The stele's content tells about the life and career of the Second Patriarch of the Truc Lam Zen sect, the political and religious situation and the activities of the Third Patriarch of Truc Lam: Tran Nhan Tong, Phap Loa and Huyen Quang. Thanh Mai Vien Thong stele was recognized as a National Treasure by the Government on December 22, 2016.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Chin, the caretaker of Thanh Mai Pagoda, after the devastation of war, in 1980, the pagoda began to be restored item by item. In 1992, Thanh Mai Pagoda was recognized by the State as a national historical and cultural relic and was restored and embellished into a large structure with high architectural and artistic value, bearing the characteristics of the Truc Lam Zen sect.
However, due to its small size, remote location and difficult roads, the temple often receives few visitors, except on holidays or Tet.
