Binh Duong Ceramics – Cultural values from tradition to modernity

Heritage of traditional craft villages

Binh Duong ceramics have a history of formation, closely linked to the process of exploration and settlement of Vietnamese people in the South. Famous ceramic villages such as Tan Phuoc Khanh (Tan Uyen), Lai Thieu (Thuan An) or Chanh Nghia (Thu Dau Mot) used to be bustling ceramic production centers, with hundreds of kilns burning red day and night.

Children experience a stage of pottery making.

The characteristic of Binh Duong pottery is the fusion between traditional Vietnamese techniques and the artistic influence of China and Khmer. Products such as jars, pots, vases, vases, statues, etc. are not only functional but also have a unique beauty, with dragon, phoenix, lotus, and carp patterns - symbols of prosperity and luck. In particular, the ash glaze, crackle glaze, and classic blue glaze techniques are the highlights that give Binh Duong pottery its own unique qualities that cannot be confused with other types of pottery.

Binh Duong pottery has a rich variety of designs with delicate hand-painted motifs.

At many ceramic establishments, they still maintain both production and business, and serve as an experience place for many ceramic enthusiasts to come and learn how to make ceramics. They will knead the products they cherish and create, then paint on the products, fire them and consider them as meaningful souvenirs.

At the Pottery Garden (Lai Thieu Ward, Thuan An City), we met artisan Duong Minh Tam, who said he has been in the pottery profession for over 20 years. He is from Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City, and has made pottery in many areas from Ben Cat to Tan Uyen and many other establishments. He currently regularly guides customers in making pottery directly at the workshop.

He said that the products here are Southern pottery, including Bien Hoa pottery ( Dong Nai ), Lai Thieu pottery (Binh Duong). Southern pottery always makes people excited because of the diversity in types, uses, designs and glaze colors, and richness in the themes expressed...

Young people on the journey to preserve ancient crafts

In the era of industrialization, many traditional craft villages are gradually disappearing. However, Binh Duong ceramics still maintains its vitality thanks to young people who are passionate, ready to inherit and innovate.

Many art and industrial design students also choose to intern and start their own businesses with Binh Duong ceramics. They bring new ideas – from decorative ceramic vases with a contemporary feel, to applied products such as cups and tea sets, and artistic tiles. This is a positive sign, showing that the ceramic profession is not just a thing of the past but is alive in the present.

Modern ceramic products are often randomly hand-painted by craftsmen, with rustic lines. The highlight is still the rustic, simple, unpretentious, polished, handmade elements and a bit of nostalgia for old things.

Young people are passionate about Binh Duong pottery

At ceramic and porcelain establishments in Binh Duong, many young people after graduating from the University of Fine Arts or vocational schools, or even simply having an aptitude for fine arts, have chosen to make a living with ceramics. They both study and work in this traditional profession with the desire to progress further with their passion.

Cultural and artistic values are enhanced.

Binh Duong ceramics not only have economic value but are also a cultural heritage that needs to be preserved. Each ceramic product is a work of art bearing the mark of local culture – from the clay material, firing technique to the motifs and designs. Through each carved line, viewers can feel the talented hands and creative soul of the artisan.

In addition to large ceramic establishments such as Minh Long, Minh Sang, Vuon Nha Goc, etc., many local tourism businesses have also begun to exploit the ceramic culture element in experiential tours - where visitors can make ceramics themselves, understand the history and creative process behind each product. This not only generates revenue but also helps raise public awareness of the value of traditional crafts.

Pottery collectors occasionally meet to show off their antiques.

In the modern flow, Binh Duong ceramics still maintain their identity – as a bridge between the past and the present. The value of ceramics lies not only in their shape or function, but also in their cultural story, the mark of time remaining in every grain of soil, fire and the hands of the craftsman.

Binh Duong ceramics today are not only the pride of local people, but also a living testament to the vitality of traditional culture in the heart of modernity.

Ancient pottery still has a beauty that makes many people admire it.

Explaining further the passion and necessity to preserve traditional handicrafts as well as the aesthetics of ceramic products, Mr. Nguyen Huu Phuc, Chairman of the Thuan An City Antiques Club, said that his club currently has nearly 50 members who share a passion for antiques in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and some provinces in the West. People come together because they like to collect antiques of many types: pottery, wooden furniture, paintings, photos... Ancient pottery is often used in home decoration, such as vases, vases or beautiful ceramic paintings, bricks... There are many types of pottery from household items, worship items, items used in ancient intellectual and aristocratic families and the precious thing about pottery is that it is unique. There are types that people only make 1-2 samples or make to give as gifts, so its value is increasingly high.

Pottery has existed in Binh Duong for thousands of years, through the excavation of a series of archaeological sites such as Cu Lao Rua, My Loc, Doc Chua, Phu Chanh... dating back 2,000 to 3,500 years. By the mid-19th century, Binh Duong ceramics, known as Lai Thieu ceramics, followed merchant ships to all six provinces of the South and even to Cambodia. The prosperous ceramic centers were Tan Phuoc Khanh (Tan Uyen Town), Lai Thieu (Thuan An City) and Phu Cuong, Chanh Nghia (Thu Dau Mot City). These are 3 centers considered the cradle of traditional ceramics in Binh Duong, contributing to creating the unique cultural beauty of Binh Duong province.

Originating from the cradle of traditional ceramics, Binh Duong ceramics has created many famous brands, not only containing historical and cultural values but also contributing to the economic growth of the locality and just like that, the flow of ceramics still lasts forever.

Quynh Nhu

Source: https://baobinhduong.vn/gom-su-binh-duong-gia-tri-van-hoa-tu-truyen-thong-den-hien-dai-a347331.html