Bau Truc Pottery Village

Location: On National Road 1 in Phuoc Dan Town, Ninh Phuoc District, Ninh Thuan Province, about 10km south of Phan Rang – Thap Cham City.

Characteristics: Bau Truc is a famous pottery craft village of the Cham ethnic group. It has existed since the reign of Cham King Po Klong Garai (1151-1205) and is considered one of the oldest pottery villages in Southeast Asia.

Villagers take soft sand from the Quao River and mix with clay to create the basic material with high adhesion. The techniques they use have been passed down from generation to generation. All stages, from drying and soaking the materials in water, mixing sand and kneading the soil, etc, to creating styles and decorating designs before firing, are hand-manipulated. The technique to create the materials by the villagers remarkably distinguishes itself from others. Instead of using the potter’s wheel to shape the products, Bau Truc craftsmen place their product on a chair or a table, go around it and make the shape. The ceramic making art is only with an anvil, some simple tools, moulds and their skillful hands. The patterns are free decorated, sophisticated and especially drawn by simple things as tree branches, shells, etc. Besides, craftsmen also use traditional and unique techniques to colour the pottery items in mysterious and old styles.

Bau Truc pottery products are now very diverse and plentiful in designs, sizes and colors with traditional items such as urns and water pots, fine art works for interior decoration and souvenirs for visitors.

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