Bau Truc Pottery Village

Located along National Highway 1A, about 10km south of Phan Rang – Thap Cham city, Bau Truc Ninh Thuan Pottery Village belongs to Phuoc Dan town, Ninh Phuoc district. This village is one of the oldest in Southeast Asia. At the same time, it is also the only village that makes pottery entirely by hand. Along with My Nghiep weaving village, Bau Truc Cham pottery village is part of the program to preserve and develop traditional Cham craft villages to become a famous Ninh Thuan tourist destination.

Bau Truc village was formerly known in Cham as Paley Hamu Trok, meaning Ma Tro or “sunken village” in Vietnamese. It was formerly the site of Vinh Thuan village during the Minh Mang Dynasty in 1832. In 1964, by a There was a huge flood that forced the villagers to move to a land with many bamboo trees next to a large pond. From then on, people called it Bau Truc village.

According to folk tales, the founder of Bau Truc pottery village was Mr. Poklong Chanh. During the most prosperous period of the Poklong Garai dynasty, he refused to be a court official and returned to the village to teach Cham women how to mold and bake clay. Create items to serve daily life. Cham women have breathed life into the clay of the Quao River, creating blooming works and keeping the fire of traditional pottery alive for more than a thousand years.

To commemorate the gratitude of the ancestors of the pottery profession, people here built a temple and organized offerings to Mr. Poklong Chanh on the occasion of Kate festival from the end of September to October according to the Cham calendar every year at Poklong Garai Cham Tower.

Bau Truc Cham pottery village has about 400 households. Of these, over 80% of households continue to practice pottery. Right in the center of the pottery village is a display area with many different types from vases, kettles to pots, jars, etc. Especially here there are unique statue towers simulating Apsara dancers.

The special feature of pottery making in Bau Truc is the handmade method of making pottery, highly artistic with meticulousness and sophistication in each carving. In many craft villages, people often use rotating tables to mold pottery. However, here, ceramic artists use their skillful hands to create wonderful products.

Patterns on Bau Truc ceramics are engraved lines imbued with Champa culture such as river images, shell dots, nail patterns, etc. Bau Truc Cham ceramics have colors of red yellow, pink red, black and gray. mixed with characteristic brown streaks, “unique”. The products always have their own differences because each product has its own soul, left over from the terracotta process to the patterns. That is an important factor in the pottery making profession of the Cham people from the past until now and in the future.

When visiting Bau Truc pottery village, you can also watch the artisans shaping and shaping ceramics with talented, skilled hands and extremely beautiful technical operations. In addition, you can also experience making your own ceramic vases or cups, drawing patterns and firing them like a real ceramic artist. Lovely ceramic products made by yourself are Bau Truc’s specialty and make the most meaningful gifts for relatives and friends.

Bau Truc ceramic products are now not only a traditional product but also reaching international markets while some traditional craft villages of Ninh Thuan are still facing barriers in finding outlets for their products. . Currently, Bau Truc Cham ceramics are displayed in California, Texas and Arizona, attracting a large number of visitors to visit, learn and buy.

If you have the opportunity to come to the sunny and windy Central region and travel to Ninh Thuan, don’t forget to take the time to visit Bau Truc pottery village – where “the land blooms” from the talented hands of ceramic artists, The place contains the soul as well as the typical culture of the ancient Cham people.