Because of my deep love for Quang Nam's pottery, I've spent nearly two decades traveling everywhere in an attempt to experience the essence of fired pottery that embodies the soul of the Quang Nam people.
From Champa relics to a land of fairy tales
A stream of terracotta bricks runs from the My Son temple complex to the Thanh Ha pottery kilns, which are nearly 500 years old. Along this area, old brick kilns, scattered among the fields, though now ruins, still evoke memories of a time when clay was kneaded and bricks were fired. As evening falls over My Son, dozens of ancient temples and towers, their red bricks glowing like the setting sun amidst the ancient forest.
More than 10 years ago, on moonlit nights, we sat in the heart of My Son, beside the moss-covered towers undergoing restoration, listening to artist Nguyen Thuong Hy tell stories. The Champa towers at My Son were built with fired clay bricks, a type of clay taken from the banks of the Thu Bon River. The strangest thing was that no mortar joints were found between the bricks.
Through three archaeological excavations from 2004 to 2008, experts from the University of Milan, Italy, collected more than 1,300 terracotta artifacts of various kinds, focusing on the main groups of Kala faces (god of Time), decorative corner finials (fire finials), and statues of mythical animals such as the bull Nandin, deer, and goose… Many artifacts were quite elaborately carved, such as the Naga serpent, lotus bud, and fire finial…
Midway through the story, artist Nguyen Thuong Hy suddenly paused, uttering a personal reflection: "People may initially come to My Son because of its World Heritage status, but deep down, everyone still wants to explore the mysteries of the ancient bricks, to touch the unique Champa terracotta culture..." He said that the Thanh Ha pottery village in the lower reaches of the Thu Bon River also recreates this terracotta culture through the hands of artisans from Quang Nam province.
The port city of Hoi An was once bustling with ships from all over, opening up a vast market for pottery and earthenware products that were traded and sold throughout the country. Fifteen years ago, I went to Thanh Ha to "work with clay" with the elderly artisan Nguyen Lanh, when he had just passed the age of "seventy." Back then, he was still healthy. Looking back, his eyes and voice still reflect the color of the earthenware and the crisp, dry sound of the village's products, a culmination of human talent and the harmonious blend of earth and fire.
Back then, the pottery village had just been revived, so it was very innocent and small, like a girl's hand. On the hand-operated potter's wheel, the artisans were performing a divine dance. While their hands gently stroked the soft, smooth clay, their feet continuously kicked, creating movement, their bodies leaning forward, suspended in the morning sunlight…
Following the winding path through the family pottery kilns, I fondly recalled my childhood days intertwined with the colors of pottery. There were the chubby little roundabouts used for holding lucky money envelopes, or the whimsical clay figurines that made rustic sounds when air was blown into them. Many people of my generation still can't forget the crispy, fragrant burnt rice cooked in an earthenware pot in the wood-fired kitchen of our hometown. Or the steaming pot of herbal remedies for colds, with its strong, rustic aroma.
I've always called Thanh Ha pottery village a fairytale land, because here, from the roads and courtyards to the tiled roofs, everything is tinged with the color of terracotta. It's a truly peaceful feeling, with rows of betel nut trees in front of the gate and the pungent, earthy smell emanating from the newly shaped pottery pieces drying in the sun.
This fairytale land is being experimented with by young, dynamic, and perceptive artisans who are creating innovative artistic forms that not only preserve the unique characteristics of traditional earthenware but also offer high applicability in fields such as interior decoration, garden design, and souvenirs. They are the bridge between tradition and modern life, contributing to opening the door for Thanh Ha pottery to participate in the global market.
Famous pottery from Quang Nam, my hometown.
The gentle lapping of waves from the Thu Bon River echoes against the shore, flowing towards Cua Dai, like a stream of pottery culture, from the past still flowing through the modern era and perhaps into the future. At Xich Wharf on the riverbank stands a "termite nest" house and a row of workshops built with exposed red bricks by People's Artisan Le Duc Ha.
Looking in from the side door of the workshop, sunlight streamed obliquely down the kiln, creating a luminous pathway. Each worker moved slowly, holding their newly crafted products at chest level, following the light into the kiln. The scene held a profound significance, reminiscent of the sacred rituals of the Cham people at the My Son temples on mystical moonlit nights.
The unique complex of workshops and showrooms built with red bricks along the Thu Bon River has become a highlight of the Dong Khuong handicraft and fine arts village cluster in Dien Ban ward. The Le Duc Ha Pottery Workshop is not only a production site but also a tourist destination offering a harmonious blend of traditional and modern art. Ms. Le Thi Van Thanh, the head of professional activities at Nguyen Thien Thuat Secondary School in Hoa Xuan ward, has taken her 9th-grade students nearly 20km to the Le Duc Ha Pottery Workshop on several occasions, most recently in March 2025.
She said that while many places focus on revenue generation, the Le Duc Ha Pottery Workshop prioritizes the preservation of traditional crafts. The entrance fee is only 60,000 VND per student, but it yields significant results. She shared: “In the peaceful setting of the riverside village, the children knead and shape the clay themselves to create rough pottery products. The workshop will fire them, and after two weeks, they will return them to the school. Receiving their finished creations, made by themselves, makes every child happy. I think each such enriching experience helps the children understand and appreciate the working people and traditional crafts of their homeland even more…”
Mr. Ha was deeply concerned about how to bring terracotta art beyond the confines of his village and to friends everywhere in a modern form. Introducing an Apsara ceramic sculpture, he shared his thoughts: “I want to bring images of my homeland into works of art made from terracotta. These include the people and culture of Champa, and Buddhist culture. These products are displayed in Hoi An ancient town and are enjoyed by tourists as souvenirs about Vietnam and its people.”
While watching the sunlight filter through the gaps in the brick walls of the factory, Ha talked about Tropical Space, a project by architects Nguyen Hai Long and Tran Thi Ngu Ngon, which drew architectural inspiration from the simple fired brick materials of Ho Chi Minh City. Tropical Space was awarded the Spotlight Award 2022, an award honoring the work of outstanding talented architects in the United States and internationally. This is an opportunity to stimulate demand for traditional earthenware pottery villages in Da Nang.
So, with Quang Nam and Da Nang united, what new hopes does the traditional pottery craft of Quang Nam hold? Le Duc Ha answered our question with a slight smile. He explained that the upstream of the Thu River is home to the My Son temple complex, a World Heritage site, while downstream along the Thu Bon River lies Thanh Ha pottery village, a long-standing traditional pottery village in the ancient town of Hoi An. And Le Duc Ha's pottery, situated in the middle, connects the flow of pottery through time, space, and culture in the heart of a new Da Nang.
He eagerly awaited a fresh start from the new leadership of Da Nang city. With its potential to combine nature and heritage, the local pottery villages, and the cultural heritage of Champa adapted over time… all will converge to create a cultural tourism destination showcasing traditional crafts. And who knows, through learning experiences at Thanh Ha Pottery Village and Le Duc Ha Pottery Workshop, there might be more successors who love pottery, who know how to "work their magic" with earth, water, and fire… so that the flow of pottery in the heart of Da Nang will bring fame to Quang Nam pottery.
Source: https://baodanang.vn/dong-chay-dat-nung-giua-long-da-nang-3308949.html
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