The pagoda, known locally as Duc La or La Pagoda, was built in the 13th century during the Tran Dynasty as a place to worship Buddhism and venerate the founders of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism, including King Tran Nhan Tong and the monks Phap Loa and Huyen Quang. It was classified as a national historical and cultural site in 1964.
The pagoda houses a valuable collection of over 3,000 woodblocks inscribed with Buddhist Sutras written in Han script. The blocks—which also bear information on literature, history, linguistics and medicine—were added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2012.
The festival is held each year on the 14th day of the second lunar month and attracts thousands of pilgrims and visitors. It features a procession, a prayer ceremony, a display featuring the woodblocks and several folk games.
