Biking down the street through a village, one can see clay statues, giant kilns, and pottery shops. Where are you? The famous Thanh Ha pottery village in Hoi An, of course!
One of the first mentions of the village in history was in the late 18th century, at the time of the Nguyen dynasty. The rulers had the potters from Thanh Ha village make items for the palace, such as cups and plates. After this, the potters were famous and they were called upon to complete bigger projects. For example, all the roof and floor tiles of the ancient homes in Hoi An’s old town were made by the potters from Thanh Ha village. Today, whenever old buildings need maintenance, the restorations are made by this village.
When we visited the village, we stopped at a pottery shop located inside a family home. The family works together to make and sell their products. Their pottery is made on a wooden potter’s wheel, but not like the ones we have at home. This one wasn’t mechanized, so it had to be turned by foot. One sister would shape the clay with her hands while the other turned the wheel.
Zoe and I had the chance to make some clay items with help from the two ladies. Zoe made a water jug and a heart shaped bowl while I made a vase. It was a lot of fun! Some other pieces of pottery made there were clay pots, cups, platters, whistles, bowls, tea sets, and much more. We have participated in pottery classes at home, but they have never been like this.
After the items are made, they are left to dry in the sun which takes a couple hours. When the clay is dry they are put into a kiln and baked. The kilns in the village were huge and can fit many people inside. The kilns are only used once a month because of the intense heat.
As we went around the village, we saw all the houses in the village make pottery in the traditional way. At one point, we saw an older lady around 90 years old who was still making and selling clay items! Talk about commitment!
This village reminded me of the ceramic factory in Morocco, but on a much larger scale. In Thanh Ha, everyone makes pottery, not only a few people.
Seeing how the Thanh Ha village has kept the traditional way of making pottery was amazing. I wonder if the villagers choose to make clay objects this way or if they have another choice? Would they want to use a mechanized wheel and increase their production while putting in less energy, or do they prefer the traditional way they are doing it now?
Comments
6 responses to “Wheel of Fortune?”
So, did you ask them your question? You have had so many new hands on experiences since being in Vietnam. Would you be able to pick a favourite? Which was the most fun? Most unusual?
Hello Herta,
I don’t think I can pick a favourite activity in Vietnam because they were all so much fun, but I did really enjoy the to he toy making and the lantern making.
Hi Mikhaila,
Were you able to purchase the items both of you made or did you have to leave them with the ladies? Did you get to paint them? By the way, “The Wheel of Fortune” is another favourite song of mine. Thanks for sharing! Love, Baba
Hi Baba,
Since we made the items, we were able to take them free of charge. We didn’t paint them, but we probably will when we come home.
Hi, Mikhaila it’s great, how you and Zoe can get involved and see first hand how these crafts have survived in the modern and fast pace age and tools are still the same as many years ago. I love the huge kiln, and for a minute I had a silly thought about Hansel and Gretel – you know the story as per Brothers Grimm 🙂
It looks all very interesting and lots of fun to learn. Love and Hugs to all
Hello Oma,
It was really interesting to see how the villagers have stayed with the traditional way of making pottery. The huge kilns were incredible, and it would be as hot as an oven outside with the heat from the kilns and sun.