After few days living in the busy and bustling atmosphere in the center of Hanoi, visitors can spend time taking a day trip in a quiet and old place that brings to you a more peaceful atmosphere. Bat Trang pottery village is located Gia Lam district, about 14km from Hanoi center. With convenient transportation, in your vacation, you should be here once to try doing ceramic products by yourself as well as to learn about the exciting things about Bat Trang pottery village.
According to the ancient documents, Bat Trang pottery emerged from the 15th century under Tran dynasty, but according to the material collected in the Bat Trang, pottery village could be appeared earlier. In 1010, King Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu (Ninh Binh) to Thang Long (Hanoi). Thang Long became the political, economic and culture center of the country. Due to the development needs of the city, many traders and craftsmen from many places arrive Thang Long to settle. Thang Long becomes more and more expanded and developed. A variety of urban villages also gradually develop the economy, Bat Trang village is one of them. Located on the Red River, Bat Trang has convenient transportation conditions for industrial and commercial development. Especially, this region has many special white clay, a good material for the production of ceramics. At that time, some potters of Bo Bat, belonging Truong Yen of Thanh Hoa town (Hoa Lu – Ninh Binh now), migrated to Bat Trang to establish kiln pottery. Bat Trang pottery village from an ordinary became a famous center and was chosen to provide tributes to the Ming Dynasty.
There is another story about the establishment of Bat Trang village. People in Bat Trang still hand down a legend about the origin of pottery. In the Ly dynasty, 3 scholars, Hua Vi Kieu, Dao Tri Tien and Luu Phong Tu, were sent to China on mission. After completing the mission, they came back but encountered the storms, and had to stay in Thieu Chau (China). They learned some pottery techniques and taught the people of Bat Trang when they came back.
Historically, the precious and unique ceramics of our country, famous both at home and abroad such as celadon pottery (the Ly, Tran), brown glaze ceramics (late Tran - early Le dynasty), crackle glaze ceramics (Le - Trinh) and blue ceramics (end of Le - Nguyen Dynasty) have been produced in Bat Trang. From the end of Tran, Le to the beginning of Nguyen dynasty, numerous types of pottery in Bat Trang have been exported to countries in the region such as Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and some European countries like Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, French. Overall, Bat Trang pottery is one of the favorite items of foreigners.
Bat Trang ceramic products have various kinds with different functions including utilitarian wares, cult wares and decorative objects. Those products carry an individual feature, has their own nuances, their own characteristics of the village and reflect the aesthetic concept, the cultural identity of Bat Trang’s people. Bat Trang is a best place for those who want to gain a deeper understanding about traditional, historical and cultural values of each product. Moreover, you have a chance to make you own product to experience the process of making a ceramic. Visit Bat Trang and bring some souvenirs for your friends and families.
