On April 17, 2026 (ie March 1st of the lunar calendar), at the World Heritage Site Thanh Mai Pagoda, Nguyen Trai ward, Hai Phong city, the Con Son - Kiep Bac Relic Management Board solemnly organized the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Heritage Site Thanh Mai Pagoda, commemorating the 696th anniversary of the death of the Second Patriarch Truc Lam Phap Loa Ton Gia (1330 - 2026).
The festival is organized to commemorate and deeply appreciate the merits of the predecessors, especially the Second Patriarch of Truc Lam Phap Loa - who played an important role in inheriting and developing the Truc Lam Buddhist Zen sect.
Thereby, contributing to raising the awareness and responsibility of officials and people in preserving and promoting the value of national cultural heritage.
Recorded on the opening day of the festival, thousands of people and tourists from all directions came to attend the ceremony, offer incense, and worship. The atmosphere at the relic site became solemn but also very lively with many unique cultural activities.
My family comes to Thanh Mai Pagoda festival every year. This year is larger in scale, with many interesting experiential activities, helping children and grandchildren understand more about history and traditions" - Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa (a tourist from Hanoi) shared.
On the opening day of the festival, in addition to traditional rituals such as the Buddha worshiping ceremony, pedestrian procession, and the memorial ceremony for the Second Patriarch of Phap Loa, the Organizing Committee also opened the exhibition "Thanh Mai World Heritage - Outstanding Global Values", introducing the tour "Discovering Thanh Mai World Heritage".
Besides, there are experiential activities such as calligraphy writing, woodblock printing, baking, honey roasting that attract a large number of participants.
The festival takes place in 3 days, from April 17 to 19 (ie, from the 1st to the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month) with many rich contents. On April 18, the "Conquering Tam Ban Peak" mountain climbing tournament will take place, announcing the decision to establish the Sen Kiep Bac Club and folk games. April 19 is the death anniversary of the Second Patriarch of Pháp Loa, the Mong Son thí thực ceremony and cultural and experiential activities.
Through the festival, the Organizing Committee expects to continue to preserve and promote traditional cultural values, raise community awareness in heritage preservation, and at the same time gradually build Thanh Mai Pagoda into a typical cultural and spiritual tourism destination of Hai Phong City and the region.
