The thousand-year-old Kim Lan pottery village on the banks of the Red River

When mentioning the ancient pottery village of Hanoi, many people often think of Bat Trang, but few people know that Kim Lan pottery village has existed for thousands of years.

About 20km from the center of Hanoi , Kim Lan pottery village (Kim Duc commune, old Gia Lam district, now Bat Trang commune, Hanoi) nestles along the Red River with heavy alluvium, just separated from Bat Trang village by a canal named Bac Hung Hai.

This is a traditional craft village with a long history, known as the place that produced ceramics for the ancient Thang Long citadel. The ceramics industry here began in the 8th century and flourished until the 18th century.

Kim Lan pottery village is famous in the ancient Thang Long citadel. Photo: Han Trang

Considered as the "sleeping beauty" next to Bat Trang village, Kim Lan pottery has also been ranked among the precious products along with silk, brocade, pearls, and jade since the 8th century.

With an age older than Bat Trang pottery village, Kim Lan is considered the cradle of ceramic civilization in the Red River Delta.

According to archaeologists and historians, the pottery industry in Kim Lan has existed for more than 1,000 years. Today, Kim Lan still retains the identity of an ancient village with a long tradition of pottery making.

What makes Kim Lan pottery different is that the products are not elaborate in detail but simple, harmonious, creating convenience. Kim Lan pottery village produces products mainly for daily life.

Following the path leading to the village gate, you can find products such as vases, ceramic pots, flower pots, tiles, jars, incense burners, cups, bowls, toothpick holders... from popular to high-end, displayed on both sides of the road, looking eye-catching and urging you to explore .

A series of ceramic products are displayed by locals on both sides of the road. Photo: Han Trang

According to villagers, Kim Lan pottery is unique because it has the ability to glow when exposed to light. The secret to creating the translucency of the pottery lies in the raw materials and precise firing techniques.

The clay must be purified, removing all impurities before being fired at nearly 1,300 degrees Celsius. When it meets the standard, the ceramic is as transparent as an LED bulb; if the temperature is lower, the light will turn yellow or not be able to pass through.

Artisan Pham Dinh Bon shared: “A potter not only needs to be skillful but also has to go through many years of work, gain experience and have a deep understanding of the properties of soil, glaze and fire to be able to make a ceramic product.”

To produce quality ceramic products, attention must be paid to every step, from selecting clay materials, additives, molding, firing, screening products to meet standards, to painting, decorating patterns, motifs and storage.

People carefully pour the mold to ensure the correct shape and exact size of the product. Photo: Han Trang

The beauty of Kim Lan pottery is rustic, familiar but still exudes elegance and charm.

To make such ceramic products is not a simple process, Mr. Nguyen Van Minh - Binh Thy facility said: "Making this ceramic product is very hard, you have to be patient and hard-working to make it durable and viable".

The paint pouring stage requires meticulousness and dexterity from the artisan's hands so that the paint is spread evenly on each product. Photo: Han Trang

Not only the veterans, but also the young generation of the village enthusiastically participate in the production of traditional ceramic products.

“Since I was little, my parents took me to make pottery, so I gradually got used to it. I have been doing it until now. Every time I make a satisfactory product, I feel excited and want to do more,” shared Ms. Nguyen Mai (24 years old) from Huong Lien.

After each completed pottery item, people will rearrange it and select quality products. Photo: Han Trang

There are many shuttle buses coming in and out of the village to transport products to provinces and cities. Not only consumed in the domestic market, Kim Lan ceramic products are also exported to countries such as Japan and Korea.

With its historical, cultural and scientific values, Kim Lan pottery has been included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism since January 23, 2025.

People in this traditional land are making efforts to restore and preserve the craft village with its true value. Photo: Han Trang

Kim Lan pottery village is still making efforts to preserve and develop the traditional craft, with many diverse ceramic products, highly applicable and of artistic value.

Kim Lan villagers are always proud that the traditional products of the craft village are increasingly popular and known by many people for the unique quality they bring.

Laodong.vn

Source: https://laodong.vn/du-lich/kham-pha/lang-gom-co-kim-lan-nghin-nam-tuoi-ben-bo-song-hong-1559687.html