About 15 km from the center of Hanoi, Bat Trang village in Gia Lam district is considered as the “paradise” of ceramic objects. This place is an ideal destination for weekend trips for those who like to explore the traditional culture of the oldest and most famous pottery village in Vietnam.
In this 700 year old village, the sophisticated artworks of Bat Trang are the pride of the northerners. As soon as you enter the village, you can see the ceramic products displayed everywhere in the main street, on the sidewalk, in the house, in the courtyards…
In addition to the production of these objects of common use: teapots, cups, bowls, vases, dishes, bowls, wine pots, statues, toys for children, decorative objects, cultural objects, elephants, lions, eagles, turtles, Bugs Bunnies …, Bat Trang is known for the objects of worship, including cassolettes, large vases and drawings and calligraphy on ceramics of Buddha, Confucius …
In Bat Trang, most of the ceramics are made on the spot, the workshops being just behind the stores.
Bat Trang currently has about 200 enterprises and over 1,000 households involved in the production and trade of ceramics. Bat Trang pottery is exported to many countries in the world including the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea and European countries.
This village has become an attractive destination for Vietnamese and foreign tourists. This locality welcomes an average of 200,000 travelers per year.
In Bat Trang, tourists can choose ceramics as gifts for their loved ones, but also discover the production techniques of a family workshop and kiln. Visitors can attend a lecture on the making of ceramic products and understand the hard work of a ceramist.
Pottery goes through 6 successive stages in the hands of craftsmen to become very refined products: Kaolin processing, molding, drying, decoration and glazing, firing and finishing.
On weekends, many Vietnamese families bring their children to discover the village of Bat Trang and the traditional ceramic art of the country. For the past few years, some workshops have been offering the opportunity to make a “work” of one’s choice, from modelling on the wheel to finishing with a brush and firing. A work of choice costs only 50,000 dôngs (two dollars) and it is possible to spend the day in the workshop.
If you have time, you can visit the old Van Vân house or common house of pottery of the village where several old precious ceramic products since between XV and XIX century are exposed.
Currently, Bat Trang is working to preserve its cultural values as well as its original ceramic techniques to enhance its craft village.
To go to Bat Trang, if you don’t have a motorcycle, you can take the bus N°47 from Long Biên bus station for 7.000 dongs or you can take a cab for about 200.000 dongs per trip.
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