Ha Noi’s Bat Trang pottery village bustling ahead of Lunar New Year

Each stage in the process of creating products is made meticulously and carefully by potters with the desire to bring products that are both durable and beautiful to celebrate Tet. In Viet Nam, the first pieces of ceramics were created around 7,000 – 8,000 years ago and pottery became popular in daily life about 4,000 years ago, according to Nguyen Quoc Binh from the Vietnam National Museum of History. Pottery peaked during the 15^th – 17^th centuries when many craftsmen were capable of performing sophisticated techniques in making ceramics. Hai Duong’s Chu Dau became the country’s largest pottery hub at that time, where ceramics were also made for export. Viet Nam was one of the world’s leading ceramics exporters during the period. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

At the end of the year, the demand for goods is higher, so households in Bat Trang trade village are rushing to prepare for the last shipments of the year. Household ceramics, worship items, art ceramics, and decorative ceramics in Bat Trang are present in all localities nationwide and exported to other countries. In Viet Nam, pottery peaked during the 15^th – 17^th centuries when trade activities between Viet Nam and foreign countries developed robustly, and Vietnamese ceramics were also made for export to Southeast, Eastern and Western Asian countries. However, between the 17^th – 18^th centuries, Viet Nam’s pottery lost its foothold in Europe and Japan. Many pottery hubs have disappeared since then, but Ha Noi’s Bat Trang remains. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

At present, most of the local ceramic factories have used machines to save time and increase productivity. The ceramic production process includes the following steps: preparation of raw materials; product shaping; product drying; product repair; decoration, drawing; enameling and firing. Bat Trang pottery village is located on the left bank of the Red River in outlying Gia Lam district, about 15 km from downtown Ha Noi. This is the oldest and most famous pottery village in Viet Nam, attracting the attention of many domestic and foreign tourists before the COVID-19 broke out. Time passed, but Bat Trang ceramic and pottery products always maintain traditional characteristics. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The patterns seem simple but require the potter to have perseverance and skillful hands. Each stage in the process of creating products is made meticulously and carefully by potters with the desire to bring both durable and beautiful products to consumers. In recent years, Bat Trang pottery village has been an attractive destination for visitors to Ha Noi. There are many places to visit in Bat Trang, old houses like the one owned by artisan To Thanh Son, Tieu Dao Pagoda, Bo Bat old kiln, Kim Truc Pagoda, Giang Cao Temple and Mother Goddesses Temple. Apart from these relics, the core of Bat Trang commune is 23 traditional houses, 16 family temples and many old kilns, all built with Bat Trang bricks.

The owner of Tan Long ceramics factory says: "This whole year, the number of orders has decreased compared to those of previous years, but orders have remained stable like last year". Apart from familiar customers, the establishment also welcomes new customers in different provinces with the need to order products to sell online. (Photo: VietnamPlus)