Enhancing the value of Bau Truc pottery cultural heritage

Bau Truc ancient Cham pottery village, Ninh Phuoc commune, Khanh Hoa province (Phuoc Dan town, Ninh Phuoc district, old Ninh Thuan province) is becoming a bright spot for cultural tourism, affirming the heritage value honored by UNESCO.

Tourists enjoy making pottery with artisans in Bau Truc pottery village

Photo: Thanh Nguyen

From ancient heritage to contemporary vitality

Bau Truc pottery village is considered one of the oldest pottery villages in Southeast Asia, where artisans only use skillful hands and rudimentary tools from bamboo, seashells, and sea snails to knead and shape. In particular, the pottery making technique here does not use a turntable, the craftsman must step back step by step to create products imbued with the "soul" of earth and water. This uniqueness creates the unique yellow-red, pink-red, black-gray, brown... color patterns that cannot be copied on each work, from familiar jars, pots, and vases to sophisticated decorative art objects.

Artisan Chau Thi Hoa, an artisan with over 40 years of experience in the profession, shared that pottery has become "a part of her flesh and blood". The pottery profession has been passed down from generation to generation in the family, from basic techniques to make daily products, to now artisans are constantly innovating, harmoniously combining traditional manual methods and new ideas to create unique products, meeting the tastes of customers. "Customers can order according to their own designs or request special products. At that time, artisans have to research and think of ways to make, from small decorative ceramic vases, water towers, flower vases to 1.2 m high vases or statues with different shapes", said artisan Chau Thi Hoa.

Constant innovation has helped Bau Truc pottery go beyond the framework of traditional household products. Now, ceramic products such as vases, night lights, decorative lights or fine art works with Cham cultural images have appeared in many modern art and interior spaces, bringing high economic value, with prices ranging from tens of thousands to millions of VND depending on the sophistication.

"Attractive destination" on the tourist map

According to Mr. Phu Huu Minh Thuan, Director of Bau Truc Cham Pottery Cooperative, UNESCO's recognition of Cham pottery art as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent protection has created a strong spread of information. This is a great motivation for the craft village to strive to develop production and community tourism. "Coming to Bau Truc pottery village, visitors can not only admire works of art, watch artisans perform skillful pottery shaping techniques, but also experience the pottery making process themselves," said Mr. Thuan. In order to attract tourists, along with diversifying designs and ensuring the quality of fine art and spiritual ceramic products, the Cooperative also focuses on organizing services such as performing traditional Cham musical instruments, experiencing pottery making under the guidance of artisans and introducing Cham culture. In the coming time, we will build a tourism program, arrange a more methodical and impressive space to better serve the needs of tourists. On average, the craft village welcomes about 1,000 visitors every day to visit and experience, showing the undeniable appeal of this type of cultural tourism.

Conservation and sustainable development strategy

Recognizing the importance of preserving and promoting heritage values, Khanh Hoa province is implementing many policies to support the development of craft villages. The project "Preserving and promoting the value of intangible cultural heritage - Cham pottery art" with an estimated budget of more than 205 billion VND has been launched. This project not only aims to remove this heritage from the risk of needing urgent protection but also aims at a higher goal: to be listed in the list of Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Vice Chairman of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Long Bien said that the locality pays special attention to socio-economic development, ensuring that the Cham community benefits directly from traditional cultural heritage. The top goal is to build a sustainable conservation system, not only preserving but also strongly developing the art of Cham pottery in a contemporary context. Gradually build Bau Truc pottery village into an attractive destination, bringing a stable source of income to the people and affirming the position of a unique cultural heritage on the tourism map of Vietnam and the world.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nang-tam-gia-tri-di-san-van-hoa-gom-bau-truc-18525082110474906.htm