Bach Hao Pagoda in Thanh Tan Commune, Thanh Ha District, Hai Duong was built in 1011, under the reign of King Ly Thai To.
The pagoda worships three generals of Tran Hung Dao, Nguyen Danh Quang, Nguyen Danh Nguyen and Ly Dinh Khue, who had the merit of defeating the enemy, establishing villages and teaching the people of Thanh Xa (now Thanh Tan commune) to raise silkworms, weave cloth and row boats.
The current pagoda consists of a 5-room front hall, a 2-room rear hall, and a 3-room ancestral house. The front hall is built in the lotus-shaped beam-and-beam style. The rafters are all carved with flowers, leaves, and bamboo turning into dragons.
Currently, Bach Hao Pagoda still preserves many valuable artifacts such as a system of Buddha statues and a lotus stone pedestal from the Tran Dynasty. In the grounds of Bach Hao Pagoda, there are also 10 stone steles recording the merits of 3 laymen, including 3 stone steles from the Le Dynasty and 7 stone steles from the Nguyen Dynasty.
The pagoda also has a tower garden with 7 monks' tombs, 7 royal decrees bearing the reign names of the Nguyen Dynasty kings conferring titles on the tutelary gods and bestowing beautiful names on the three lay abbots. Bach Hao Pagoda was ranked as a national historical relic in 1993.
Bach Hao Pagoda Festival is held on the 4th - 6th of the first lunar month every year. This is the first festival of the lunar year in Hai Duong province and also the biggest festival in Thanh Ha district with many unique folk games.
The festival is organized in two parts: the ceremony and the festival. The ceremony includes the incense offering ceremony, the procession of the royal decree, the dragon court, and the procession of the five-fruit tray. The festival includes organizing men's and women's boat racing, rice cooking competitions on the river, and duck catching games.
Among them, the traditional boat racing festival, which people commonly call "row chai" is the most prominent, held on January 6 (the main festival day) to commemorate the day King Tran Nhan Tong stopped to visit the pagoda during his inspection tour in Hai Duong.
In the competition, athletes (athletes) participating include both men and women, but compete separately. The age of athletes is not limited, they can be single or married, even many families have two or three generations participating in the competition. The number of athletes on each racing boat is from 12 to 14 athletes, including 10 to 12 rowers, a helmsman (also known as "nose paddler") and a water bailer.
The Bach Hao Pagoda Festival annually attracts a large number of visitors from all over the world because of its spiritual significance and the unique features of its folk games. With its cultural beauty, the Bach Hao Pagoda Festival was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2015.
