Numerous officials, local residents, and tourists attended the ceremony to receive the "Best Community Tourism Destination" award for 2025. Photo: HOANG LIEN
A transformation from a 500-year-old heritage.
The Thanh Ha pottery craft has been established and flourished in Quang Nam province for over 500 years. Through many ups and downs, the flame of love for the craft and the perseverance of generations of artisans have been preserved in the cultural essence of the village, of Hoi An, and of the national heritage.
With its outstanding cultural values, Thanh Ha pottery village was recognized as a provincial-level craft village in 2014. In 2019, Thanh Ha pottery was officially included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. This is an important legal and cultural foundation for the village to transform from a purely production unit into a cultural tourism destination rich in experiences.
Arts and culture celebrate the "soul of pottery". Photo: HOANG LIEN
Artisan Pham Meo, an outstanding son of the craft village, shared: “The flame of our craft, like the flame of love for the land and our ancestors, has never cooled within us. This award is a source of pride, but also a great responsibility for every resident of Thanh Ha to continuously improve the quality of service and build a civilized tourism environment.”
In the context of the United Nations Tourism Organization (UNWTO) launching a transition towards sustainable and equitable development, Thanh Ha pottery village has quickly adapted through concrete actions. A "revolution" in production thinking has taken place here.
The previously polluting brick and tile kilns have been completely replaced with modern electric kilns. Not only has the firing method changed, but the craft village has also proactively addressed the issue of raw materials. Instead of relying on increasingly limited natural clay resources, artisans have researched and developed environmentally friendly industrial clay that can be produced from ordinary soil. This is a crucial step that helps the craft village both conserve resources and ensure sustainable production in the long term.
Alongside cleaning up the production environment, the human element has also been professionalized. The artisans are not only skilled craftspeople but also trained in foreign languages and tourism-related skills. Now, each pottery workshop serves as both a production facility and a vibrant cultural experience space for tourists.
Ms. Truong Thi Hong Hanh, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, presents the certificate for the "Best Community Tourism Destination" award in 2025 from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to representatives of the locality and the Thanh Ha craft village community. Photo: HOANG LIEN
This transformation has not only changed the appearance of the craft village but also shifted the villagers' economic mindset towards sustainability and responsibility. The appeal of Thanh Ha pottery village also stems from its continuous innovation in product designs.
Besides traditional items, Thanh Ha potters have breathed life into the clay to create exquisite art products such as clay whistles, ceramic masks, and ceramic statues, catering to the tastes of tourists and for interior and exterior decoration. Particularly noteworthy is the collection of handcrafted ceramic souvenirs called "The Culinary Imprint of Hoi An." Specialty dishes such as Quang noodles, Cao Lau, chicken rice, and banh xeo (Vietnamese savory pancake) are recreated in miniature, beautifully presented, becoming unique cultural mementos for tourists.
These charming miniature figurines, such as the 12 zodiac animals and clay figurines, are designed to be compact and lightweight, making them easy for tourists to carry around the world. This contributes to spreading Hoi An culture to international friends, including export orders to demanding markets like Japan.
Thanh Ha pottery products. Photo: HOANG LIEN
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hao, a dedicated artisan, said: “Tourists, especially international visitors, are very excited to try their hand at shaping pottery and creating products under our guidance. They are not just buying an item; they are buying the experience and the joy of working with clay.” It is estimated that in 2025, the craft village received over 251,000 visitors, including 224,000 international tourists.
The community is at the heart and core of heritage.
The success of Thanh Ha pottery village is inseparable from the central role of the local community. This is a key point highly appreciated by international experts. Here, the economic benefits from tourism are shared fairly, with 62% of revenue from ticket sales and products allocated to paying workers, reinvesting in heritage preservation, and upgrading the village's infrastructure.
This transparent benefit-sharing mechanism has helped the community become closely connected to its local culture, creating a strong impetus for successive generations to continue and develop the knowledge of their ancestors. The pottery village is no longer just an isolated destination, but a vibrant cultural entity where people, land, fire, and the river coexist.
Pottery shaping. Photo: HOANG LIEN
Chairman of Hoi An Tay Ward People's Committee, Bui Van Dung, affirmed: "This is a humane approach. The pottery village is not just a place to see, but a place to feel and return to. We develop tourism based on the foundation of local cultural values, with the community at the center and living heritage as the core."
This award, along with the title of "Best Tourist Village" for Tra Que Vegetable Village in 2024, affirms the position of Hoi An in particular and the Central region in general on the world tourism map. Ms. Truong Thi Hong Hanh, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hoi An city, emphasized that this is a milestone recognizing the efforts of both the management apparatus and the community in preserving national cultural identity amidst the flow of modernity.
Thanh Ha pottery village is entering a new and proud chapter. The "Best Community Tourism Destination" award is not just a title, but an affirmation that: when the community cherishes its heritage and that heritage is nurtured by the community, cultural vitality will endure and shine.
Source: https://baodanang.vn/cong-dong-lam-hat-nhan-bao-ton-di-san-ben-vung-3318748.html
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