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Travel experience to Bat Trang ceramic village of Vietnam

General information about Bat Trang ceramic village

Bat Trang ceramic village is located along the Red River in Gia Lam District, Hanoi capital suburb. Bat Trang means “The Big Yard”, is a land for the specialization. Bat Trang name is formed from Le dynasty, it is the integration between five big and famous pottery families of Bo Bat village, Thanh area with Nguyen family in the land of Ming Trang. Five big families are: Tran, Vuong, Nguyen, Le, Pham who did a meeting and decided to bring some of craftsmen, potters, relatives and family migrated toward the Citadel of Thang Long for finding land and living. They stop at the 72 white land of Ming Trang village.

ceramic making process
ceramic making process

Today, Bat Trang ceramic village specializes in producing pottery and porcelain with many different functions from: living supplies, worship items, art ceramic products, etc. Here, families still keep their traditional professional know how which has been passed down from generation to generation, that make their products have unique features and separate sophistication. Porcelain and pottery products that are known well from near to far, exporting to many parts of the world.

solid glaze jars of antique imitation
solid glaze jars of antique imitation

How to go to Bat Trang ceramic village

The bus: the public bus is probably the cheapest and most convenient vehicle. From any part of Hanoi, you take the bus to Long Bien transit station, then you take the bus No. 47 goes to Bat Trang ceramic village. You can get in the bus and sit comfortably until you arrive the village.

Motorbikes or other personal vehicle: you cross Chuong Duong Bridge or Vinh Tuy Bridge, Thanh Tri Bridge, and then turn right going along the Red River dike, when you see signs of Bat Trang ceramic village, you arrive. It is very easy to go.

River way: every weekend, there are Red River tours by river way pass over Bat Trang ceramic village and Chu Dong Tu Temple. The price of this tour is around 350 000 – 400 000 / pax. You should clearly ask whether tour route passing Bat Trang or not.

a pottery maker in Bat Trang
a pottery maker in Bat Trang

What to eat in Bat Trang

Near Ceramics market has several restaurants. Here, you can enjoy Grilled pork rice noodle is pretty good. Besides, there are many other dishes as fragrant rice cake 6 000 VND/ 2 cakes, cassava cake 5 000 VND / one cake.

the pottery making process
the pottery making process

Tourism in Bat Trang ceramic village

If you take the bus, you will stop at the beginning of the village and walking, you will pass Pottery houses, keep going into the village you will see Ceramic markets. If you go by motorbike, you can drive straight into Ceramics market. Then you get in one house where the owner offer ceramic molding services, you play with clay and pottery, after finish ceramic molding you have to wait for drying. During that time you should leave your motorbike in local people house, and then you walk around the village and visit the market.

ceramic painting process in Bat Trang
ceramic painting process in Bat Trang

In addition to walking around the village, you can choose one special vehicle of buffalo cart, price is around 150 000 VND – 200 000 VND, buffalo cart can carry about 10 people. This type of vehicle is the favorite one of many foreign tourists. Currently, it is not too many travelers use buffalo cart, so we are not sure this service still work or not. Buffalo cart will take visitors going around the village.

a showroom in Bat Trang
a showroom in Bat Trang

Try pottery making

There are many families offer this service. This is the way help you play and learn how to make pottery and molding processes. The method is quite simple: the owner gives you one big lump of clay, a bit wet, give you one turntable, then you put the lump of clay on the turntable and creating shape for that clay block. Most of you will make the cup, bowls, or make daily utensils with the round shape. If you’re clever, you can make the shape of animals. After molding is complete, you get in to the step of drying, it will take about 30 minutes, during this time you can hang out or having lunch. In the next step, you draw and decorate your product. And finally, the owner will paint the outside of product with the sheen to keep product more durable than, along the time. Cost for each product is around 30 000 VND – 50 000 VND.

The foreign children turn the pottery wheels by hand
The foreign children turn the pottery wheels by hand
Guests experience in Bat Trang ceramic village
Guests experience in Bat Trang ceramic village

Bat Trang Market

Bat Trang Market sells a variety of items, it is divided into a lot of small stalls selling a variety of handicraft items which is related to ceramics, from the premium bowl booth, beautiful ornaments to worshiping items, rockery miniatures, nice souvenirs, popular cups and bowls. If you want to buy anything, you should go in the market, you should not buy from outside, price may higher than a little bit.

a corner of Bat Trang ceramic village
a corner of Bat Trang ceramic village

Families make ceramics

There are plenty of families who make pottery on the way from the beginning of village to the market. You can look for one of them and get inside. When visiting these families you can ask them more about the process of making ceramics, history of family, or simply watch them work with clay.

teapot sets of Bat Trang
teapot sets of Bat Trang

The temple of Bat Trang ceramic village

The village temple is located next to the river (Red River), where tourists go to Bat Trang on the river route will stop here and walk into the village. From Bat Trang market, you ask local people where the village temple is and they will show you.

Bat Trang ceramic village
Bat Trang ceramic village

Minh Hai Resort

In the time after opening, this area was considered as one recreation spot for children and students at weekend. But the past few years, the service and facility became old and then the majority of visitors do not want to come here. If you go in a big group, need a decent and clean lunch place; you can contact them for cooking the lunch here. At least there is still the scenery and spacious restaurant to welcome guests.

Van Van House

Van Van house is located at the end of the village; its roof is covered with green trees. The house displays more than 400 items of ancient ceramics from the 15th to the 19th century. Van Van house was built by Mr Tran Ngoc Lam in 2002, a member of UNESCO Center for Conservation Research Vietnam antiques. “Van Van means the convergence of nice clouds. It preserve products of many villages, most of Bat Trang ceramics”

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About the author

Hi, I'm Ho Lam! That's me, the boy who wants more experience each day. I'm slowly but surely working my way, travelling and sharing is my taste. The articles of this blog are not only from me, but also from my friends and the travellers mailed to me.

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