Preserving and promoting the value of Cham ceramic heritage

In 2022, “Cham pottery art” was listed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent protection. This is a joy for the Cham people of Bau Truc pottery village in particular and the people of Khanh Hoa province in general. Along with the enthusiasm and responsibility of the community owning the heritage, in recent years, the provincial authorities and sectors have also carried out many activities to preserve and promote the value of this heritage.

Unique and different ceramic art

Bau Truc pottery village (Ninh Phuoc commune) is one of the oldest craft villages in Southeast Asia. The villagers have been involved in the craft for hundreds of years. According to artisan Truong Thi Gach - who has more than 60 years of experience making pottery in the village, the main materials used to make Bau Truc pottery products are clay and fine sand. Clay is taken from the fields next to the Quao River, mixed with fine sand and kneaded by foot or hand to create plasticity and adhesion for the pottery material. Unlike most pottery villages in Vietnam, potters in Bau Truc make pottery entirely by hand, the artisans walk around the clay block while stroking it evenly to shape the product. After creating the shape and pattern, the pottery is dried and fired outdoors with firewood or straw. The firing process lasts from several hours to a day depending on the size of the product. Therefore, each pottery product in Bau Truc is a unique, non-duplicated work of art, demonstrating the potter's own talent and creativity.

Artisan Truong Thi Gach demonstrates Bau Truc pottery making techniques.

Bau Truc pottery is diverse in design and type, divided into household, fine art and spiritual pottery lines. Pottery is shipped according to orders from businesses and business establishments; products are sold online and served to tourists who come to visit and buy directly at Bau Truc.

Preserving and developing traditional crafts

In order to preserve and promote the value of traditional pottery making, cooperatives, companies, production facilities, artisans and pottery households in Bau Truc have had many practical activities, contributing to creating new vitality, spreading more strongly the "flow" of this intangible cultural heritage. Mr. Phu Huu Minh Thuan - Director of Bau Truc Cham Pottery Cooperative said: To meet the needs of consumers, the cooperative constantly diversifies designs and improves the quality of ceramic products. In addition to traditional household ceramic products, the cooperative promotes the development of high-value fine art ceramic products such as decorative ceramic lamps, night lights, vases, water towers, flower vases, water jugs, tea pots and spiritual ceramic products such as Shiva statues, Apsara dances... Currently, decorative ceramic lamps are the main product of the cooperative, with hundreds of designs ordered in large quantities by many resorts nationwide. In particular, Shiva lamp is a product that has achieved 3-star OCOP at the provincial level and has been honored by the Ministry of Industry and Trade , awarded a certificate of typical rural industrial product at the national level in 2023. To develop the craft village, the cooperative focuses on linking the production and sale of household, spiritual and handicraft ceramic products with tourism promotion and development, organizing traditional Cham musical instrument performances, experiencing the pottery making process under the guidance of artisans, introducing Cham culture... to attract tourists. The cooperative will continue to improve designs, enhance the quality of ceramic products; at the same time, aim to build a tourism program, arrange a separate space to display unique products... to better serve the needs of tourists. The unit hopes that authorities at all levels will soon support the planning of raw materials, continue to support human resource training, and have policies on loans to help ceramic makers feel secure in production and stick with the profession.

Tourists visit Bau Truc pottery village, Ninh Phuoc commune. Photo: Hong Lam

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Linh - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in order to preserve and promote the value of the intangible cultural heritage "Cham pottery art", in November 2024, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism chaired and coordinated with the locality to organize 2 classes to teach Cham pottery art to 60 students at Bau Truc pottery village. The Provincial People's Committee also encourages party agencies, unions, departments, branches and localities to pay attention to selecting and using Cham pottery products as gifts for delegates and guests attending important events of agencies, units and localities; Actively promote, advertise, and create conditions for artisans, potters, and Cham ceramic production and trading enterprises to participate in performance activities, introduce products at conferences, seminars, and promote investment and tourism in and outside the province... Currently, the Provincial People's Committee has also developed and completed the draft Project on Preserving and promoting the value of intangible cultural heritage "Cham ceramic art" for the period 2023 - 2028 and the following years to send to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for consideration. Based on the opinions of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Department will receive, complete, and submit to the Provincial People's Committee for signing and promulgation as a basis for implementation.

LAM ANH

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/202508/bao-ton-phat-huy-gia-tri-di-san-gom-cham-8221040/