Bat Trang pottery recognized national intangible cultural heritage

A tourism week has been organized at the century-old craft village to introduce the quintessence of pottery after the two-year hiatus of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ceremonies were held for the reception of the certificate for “The National Intangible Cultural Heritage Recognition for Bat Trang Ceramic Craft” and the opening of Bat Trang tourism week on April 28 in Bat Trang Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi.

The space inside Bat Trang Ceramic Museum. Photo: Thanh Nga

According to Vice Chairman of Gia Lam District People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Hong, after two years of preparing and submitting the application, the pottery trade in Bat Trang village has been recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam by the Ministry of Culture and Sports.

“This is a remarkable cultural event, kicking off for Bat Trang tourism after a two-year paralysis because of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he stated.

The Bat Trang tourism week will last until May 3 with a host of cultural activities, including the inauguration of the Centre for Quintessence of Vietnamese Craft Village (aka Bat Trang Ceramic Museum), the procession of the ancestors of Bat Trang pottery, the OCOP fair and the spiritual tours to local communal houses, temples, and pagodas,

Founded in the 14th century, Bat Trang village is considered the cradle of ceramics in Vietnam. Nowadays, it is one of the tourist magnets of Hanoi.

The village’s products have been highly valued for their quality, diverse designs, and varieties that are divided into functional groups such as household utensils, worship items, and ceramics for construction and decorative purposes.

Tourists experience pottery making in Bat Trang Village, Gia Lam District, Hanoi. Photo: Hoang Quyet

Associated with Thang Long - Hanoi’s history, Bat Trang still retains many distinctive features of an ancient pottery village in the capital.

Besides its traditional craft, the commune’s long-standing culture with such traits as unique village festivals, customs, and cuisine are the advantages for Bat Trang to develop various types of cultural and experiential tourism.

Currently, Bat Trang is home to 200 enterprises and 1,000 ceramic home workshops, which create steady jobs and incomes for thousands of workers.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, around 200,000 travelers visited Bat Trang per year, of them, foreign visitors accounted for 10%, and students and teenagers made up 40%. In the high season, Bat Trang welcomed nearly 10,000 visitors per day.