Spreading the "flow" of Cham pottery heritage.

On November 29, 2022, Cham pottery art was inscribed by UNESCO on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. This confirms that Cham pottery art has become a shared heritage of humanity.

At the same time, it places responsibilities and challenges on all levels, sectors, and communities that own the heritage. In Ninh Thuan , solutions for preserving and promoting the value of the intangible cultural heritage of Cham pottery making have been and are being actively implemented to maintain a harmonious "flow" and bring new vitality to the heritage.

The essence of traditional crafts

As a traditional craft, the pottery making of the Cham people in Ninh Thuan is unique from the way they select and process raw materials to the methods of shaping, creating patterns, drying, and firing the products. All of this reflects the creativity, meticulousness, and skill of the artisans. Artisan Dang Thi Tam, from Bau Truc pottery village, Phuoc Dan town (Ninh Phuoc), said: The main raw material for Bau Truc Cham pottery is clay taken from the Nu Lanh field next to the Quao River. The clay here is fine, pliable, and the sand is also very fine, with tiny grains. The clay is only harvested once a year, each harvest lasting half a month. During the clay harvesting season, people bring the clay home to store for the whole year. After harvesting the raw clay, the artisans must dry it, crush it into small pieces, and then let it soak overnight with just the right amount of water. The next morning, the soaked clay is mixed with fine sand and kneaded thoroughly before shaping the pottery products.

According to Ms. Tam, potters in Bau Truc don't use a potter's wheel when shaping their products. Instead, they walk backward around the clay while evenly rubbing and smoothing it to create the desired shape. After shaping, the pottery is dried and fired outdoors at 500-600 degrees Celsius. While still hot, the fired pottery is sprinkled with a liquid made from soaked persimmon fruit or cashew shells to create mottled patterns. Therefore, each product is unique, never duplicated or monotonous.

Cham pottery products in Bau Truc village are diverse and abundant, ranging from everyday items like rice pots and water jars to cultural and spiritual artifacts such as incense burners, reliefs, statues, and towers. In recent years, to meet market demand, the artisans have also developed fine art pottery products such as decorative vases, lamps, and water towers. All are made entirely using traditional handcrafted methods maintained by Cham families for generations under a matriarchal system of "mother-to-daughter inheritance."

At the ceremony in Ninh Thuan province in June 2023 to receive the UNESCO certificate recognizing the Cham pottery art as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized: UNESCO's recognition of the Cham pottery art as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding affirms Vietnam's national cultural identity within the world's cultural heritage treasury. Therefore, Ninh Thuan province needs a more specific and practical plan for preserving, conserving, revitalizing, and promoting tangible and intangible cultural values, including the Cham pottery art.

Spreading the flow of heritage

While proud of their recognized heritage, the pottery-making craft of the Cham people in Ninh Thuan, like many other traditional crafts, is facing numerous challenges. Currently, due to the impact of the market economy and the development of science and technology, the craft village is facing many difficulties regarding market demand, product prices, and income from pottery making.

Mr. Dang Chi Quyet, Head of the Bau Truc neighborhood management board in Phuoc Dan town (Ninh Phuoc district), said: Bau Truc neighborhood currently has 2 cooperatives, 11 production and business establishments, and about 300 households still maintaining the pottery craft. The craft needs to be maintained and developed through many generations, but in reality, many artisans are elderly. Therefore, organizing training and skill development for the younger generation, while simultaneously "rekindling the passion and love for traditional pottery," is essential.

In late November 2024, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with the Ninh Phuoc District People's Committee, organized two training courses on Cham pottery making for 30 young people and 30 skilled potters from Bau Truc pottery village. As one of the participating artisans, Dang Thi Luyen shared: "Previously, few young people in the village were eager to learn the craft, and those with skills were mostly older. Since Cham pottery making became a world heritage site requiring urgent protection, the promotion of its preservation and value has been strengthened. As a result, the younger generation in the village is now interested in learning traditional pottery making." Participating in the vocational training class, I and other skilled artisans not only guide the children and grandchildren in the techniques of making household pottery and artistic pottery products, but also explain the meaning and value of each product and the pottery craft of the Cham people so that the younger generation can better understand and love the traditional craft of their homeland and ethnic group.

Passing on the traditional pottery craft to the younger generation.

According to Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Huong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism: The province is concretizing its commitments to protecting the Cham pottery art heritage by developing the Bau Truc pottery village into a community tourism village to develop unique local tourism products, while preserving, protecting, and promoting the value of the Bau Truc Cham pottery art heritage. In particular, it aims to help pottery makers earn a living from their craft. Specifically, the Bau Truc pottery village has established a Community Tourism Development Board with over 60 members, comprising specialized groups such as pottery making, cuisine, arts and culture, and traditional musical instruments. Thanks to its professional operation, the Bau Truc Community Tourism Development Board not only serves tourists visiting the village but is also invited to perform and promote Cham pottery products throughout the country, thereby generating income for the local people.

Preserving and promoting the value of traditional pottery making requires the synchronized involvement of all levels and sectors, a sense of responsibility, and the practice of heritage from the Cham community itself, creating new vitality and spreading this heritage more strongly. Recently, Ninh Thuan province has developed a Project for the Preservation and Promotion of the Intangible Cultural Heritage "Cham Pottery Making Art" for the period 2023-2028 with a total investment of over 220 billion VND. The specific goals of the project are to preserve traditional pottery making techniques and processes; train and pass on the craft to the younger generation; strengthen the development and promotion of Cham pottery products; protect traditional pottery-making areas; raise community awareness of the value of the heritage; ensure the participation and cooperation between all levels of government and the community to protect and promote the artistic value of pottery; ensure sustainable development and environmental protection; and ensure the long-term survival of the pottery craft. The proposal suggests awarding the titles of "Outstanding Artisan" and "People's Artisan" to artisans who have made significant contributions to preserving, teaching, protecting, and promoting the value of the Cham people's pottery art heritage. All these specific goals not only focus on preserving cultural heritage but also emphasize developing pottery as a sustainable industry that benefits the Cham community in the long term.

With the project already in place, along with the strong and decisive involvement of the authorities at all levels and the dedication and love of the artisans for Cham pottery products, it can be hoped that in the future, the art of pottery making of the Cham people in Ninh Thuan will continue through many generations, as a "heritage stream" that flows forever through time.

Minh Thuong

Source: https://baoninhthuan.com.vn/news/152833p1c29/lan-toa-dong-chay-di-san-gom-cham.htm