Bat Trang pottery village is a famous craft village in Hanoi specializing in pottery products to serve daily needs, worshipping utensils, beliefs, and handicraft products. Here, the artisans still try to preserve the secrets of making traditional pottery, which is passed down from generation to generation.
When facing the challenges of technology development in making pottery and the various requirements of the market, Bat Trang pottery village still offers high-quality items. This place becomes a cultural and traditional destination for tourists when staying in Hanoi.
Let’s go to explore the paradise of pottery village!
Bat Trang Pottery Village
Bat Trang Pottery Village is a 500-year-old handicraft village on the left bank of the Red River, at Gia Lam District, Hanoi. The village attracts plenty of tourists to visit and experience the pottery products and work.
This map shows the way from Hanoi Old Quarter to Bat Trang Pottery Village.
1. The area of Bat Trang ancient village
The ancient area is the first place you should visit when visiting Bat Trang pottery village. When leaving the crowded city, you come to Bat Trang ancient village that will give you a sense of peace and gentleness with old buildings with classic architectural style.
Walking around the old village with a unique buffalo cart of the countryside here, you will feel like you are returning in a childhood time. Everything here is honest, rustic, simple, and dear. While sitting in a small cart running around the village, you can see a lot of products being dry on the frame in the golden sunshine, making the rural scenery of Vietnam.
2. The ancient house of Van Van
The ancient house of Van Van is considered a highlight in the tourist area of Bat Trang pottery village attracting a lot of visitors. The old house locates at the end of the village. That place is used to display the ancient pottery products from the 15th century that was handed down and preserved until today by the ancestors, such as dragon vases, blue ceramic pots, and set of moulds. So, the ancient Van Van house is considered as the treasure of the Bat Trang village.
Besides, the old house itself also makes a strong impression on anyone who comes here because of its beautiful architecture. The house is over 400m2, including 3 compartments. The first one is an old house brought from Thai Binh, the second room is also an old house collected from the countryside of Nam Dinh, and the third is the main room of the house built right there.
The ancient house of Van Van opens from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm daily to welcome the guests.
3. Bat Trang village communal house
The communal house situates right next to the bank of the Red River. If you travel to Bat Trang by boat, you will go down to the gate of the communal house and then go inside the pottery village of Bat Trang.
Village communal house is a place to worship Hoang Thanh village and organize events and public activities of local people here.
The festival of the village is often organized on the 14th of the second lunar month. At that time, numerous tourists and villagers from joining the activities to celebrate the tradition.
The traditional festival of Bat Trang village has become a unique cultural mark, where the local people are proud of the pottery profession passed down by their father, commemorating the merits of their ancestors, and sending their dreams of a happy life.
Village communal house is a sacred and meaningful place for local people, witnessing the ups and downs, changes in the landscape, and people in the village.
4. Making-clay-product yard
If you come to Bat Trang pottery village, you can participate in the making-pottery activity at the making-clay-product yard. It is an exciting experience for your journey to this village.
In Bat Trang pottery village, a few families are providing this fun experience for visitors, so you only need to spend about 50,000 VND for your activity. The host will give you one piece of clay, and guide you on how to make it. This activity can make your hands dirty, but you can understand more about the jobs of the local people.
The first time doing it can be a little awkward and difficult, but it’s okay. The people here will show you how to do it, how to rotate it. You should choose to make simple objects first to get used to working with the turntable and hand adjustments. After the finished your product, the owner will heat to keep its shape. After that, you can draw and decorate the product.
5. Bat Trang Pottery Market
Bat Trang Pottery Market is the real paradise of ceramic products. Right from the market gate, you can admire the countless beautiful ceramic products on display in front of the shops: the pair of vases, the porcelain statues of Chi Pheo – Thi No, cups, and decorative items.
The stalls display their items closely together, forming a ceramic labyrinth, making many visitors surprised when they come here for the first time.
Here, you can choose from colourful souvenirs for your relatives. Products in the Bat Trang pottery market are diverse, beautiful, delicate patterns, meticulous to each line. Everything makes you fall in love without wanting to leave.
Products of Bat Trang pottery village also are exported to international markets, but the price is not too high. So, this village is ideal to buy some ceramic products for your houses.
6. What to eat in Bat Trang pottery village
Besides visiting and experiencing the pottery products, you can taste some local food here.
- Banh te rang bua (Steamed Cake): is local food in Bat Trang pottery village, made from rice, pork, and herb. All are wrapped in Dong leave. When eating, the diners feel little sticky feelings and fragrant taste.
- Grilled sweet potato cake: You can find many places selling this cake made from sweet potatoes, coconut, sesame, and sugar. All ingredients are mixed to create a cake, then grilled on the charcoal. Its flavour attracts the feelings of most guests.
- Squid bamboo shoot soup is popular at weddings, festivals, and daily life, which attracts a lot of visitors from near and far to enjoy. The main ingredients of squid bamboo shoot soup include dried squid, dried bamboo shoots, and pork. To get a bowl of delicious squid bamboo soup is an art. The ingredients are prepared, processed meticulously, and takes a lot of time, so it requires the skill and experience of the workers.
7. Some notes when visiting Bat Trang pottery village
- Means used when visiting Bat Trang pottery village: You can experience by buffalo cart or renting a bicycle to explore Bat Trang pottery village.
- Eating: In addition to enjoying the specialties in Bat Trang pottery village, you can prepare your own snacks to take away. If you are a foreign traveller, we recommend you come back to Hanoi for food, that is much better. It is because not many restaurants with international standards to serve the international guests there.
- Shopping: Remember to check the products carefully before choosing to buy because there may be defective products in the manufacturing process. Besides, you can bargain; however, also note that not ask for discounts a lot, but you do not buy, this makes the sellers not feel well.
- When visiting, be careful not to collide and break the items on display at the booth. And, notice this tip more if you travel with children.
- Another little experience for you is that the deeper you go, the cheaper products are. You can find some fancy items in the inside shops.
Bat Trang pottery village is an address crystallizing culture and traditions of the people of the northern countryside of Vietnam. With the friendliness and hospitality of local people, Bat Trang is an attractive place to visit when you are looking for a tourist address near the centre of Hanoi.