BRICK & CERAMIC VILLAGE ON THE BANKS OF MEKONG DELTA.

  • 09/03/2020

Vietnam Pottery - BaoVy Pottery

Arriving in Vinh Long – the Co Chien Riverside city, which is a large section of Tien River, tourists shall have chance to visit a lot of historic and cultural relics as well as a unique ceramic village in Mekong Delta.

Vinh Long city is located nearby 1A Highway, which is about 130 km from Ho Chi Minh city. Passing My Thuan Bridge, and turn left for around 1 km, you are coming to Truong An tourist area which is of 12 ha in acreage with lots of constructions for entertainment. The entrance is impressive with a couple of dragon in yellow created from tens of thousands of small glass bottles dyed with yellow paint.

Coming more deeply to the left, you will see some pretty villas serving as resorts for tourists to stay. There is a lake on the right where tourists can hire swan boats to row on the blue water.  Many old trees on the lakeside fall their sub-roots on the water which look like the blinds. Walking along the rove shore, under the shadow of poplar tree and enjoy the pleasure from the wind blowing from Co Chien River shall make tourists forget all the stress and boring things. Another interesting experience is riding ostriches to run around the yard. Tourists can also hire boats to visit and discover the beauty of river. From the park on Co Chien Riverside, tourists can admire My Thuan Bridge appearing on the immense blue sky. 

 

In the centre of Vinh Long city, tourists can come to visit Long Ho Relic in Ward 1. This relic served as the headquarter of the Nguyen’s troop in the South with the very large scale just behind Gia Dinh citadel. The remaining traces are the sprouts of the large banyan tree shade for a large area. Currently, a gate and a stele house have been rebuilt. There is a stele in the house recording brief information about the history of Long Ho Relic (located mainly in Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and a part of Can Tho city).

Arriving at Van Thanh Temple in ward 4, tourists shall be admiring the relatively intact architectures built almost 150 years ago. The quiet and sacred Duc Khong Tu Worshipping Temple at the end of the road is also an interesting destination to come. Van Xuong Cac is nearby its right hand side, which before served as the meeting place of writers and poets. 
 

Pottery village on Co Chien River:

Follow 31 provincial highway along Co Chien River, Passing Thien Duc Bridge, you are coming to the “red ceramic kingdom” stretching from Vinh Long City, Long Ho district to Mang Thit district. The village is just over 20 years old. From the typical red clay mines here, the village has produced tens of thousands products serving local demands and also exported to other countries.  
Coming to the village, tourists shall have chances to see directly the ceramic making process with many different stages. Red clay is transported from ferries to workshop through conveyors. Depend on the type of product, clay is mixed in different techniques. This stage is of great importance which decides the success of the outcome products. After mixing, clay is moulded by hands for many times so it is fine and smooth without sticking on our hand. it is then used to create products with decoration painting before being heated.   

The design work requires the hands of artists and sculptors. Ceramic samples are made from gypsum based on prototype. The next step is filling the gypsum moulds and then printing. In printing process, workers press clay on the mould. The mould may be created from many different parts. Workers need to press clay on those parts before connecting them together to create a raw ceramic product. Next to printing process is mould unloading. When the product is quite dry, it is unloaded from mould and then being polished. This step make decorating patterns more sophisticated and prettier, which enhances values of the product.  
The last thing to decide quality of the batch of ceramics is fire and heating technique. The heating worker must be experienced for many years. Arranging the kiln is also an art, the worker is clear about the locations where heat are strong or weak or stable to put the suitable products there. 
Ceramics are heated for 7 days in the kiln. For the first 4 days, fire is gentle and the heat is from 100 to 200oC to dry the raw products. Heat is increased in the 5th day and 6th day so that it reaches 900oC on the last day. When reach the appropriate temperature, the worker stop firing and close the kiln with clay so it cools gradually. Products then are taken out from the kiln before being clarified into different categories.
Source: Far East Tour’s
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