Phu Lang pottery village, located in Que Vo district, Bac Ninh province, has existed for nearly 700 years, producing exquisite pottery products famous throughout the country, becoming one of the oldest traditional craft villages in Vietnam.
Phu Lang Pottery Village, a famous 700-year-old pottery village in the Kinh Bac region, is located on the banks of the Cau River and has many ferry crossings for passengers. The place name Phu Lang dates back to the late Tran Dynasty and early Le Dynasty. During this period, Phu Lang had three hamlets: Trung Thon, Thuong Thon, and Ha Thon, and was known for its traditional pottery craft.
Phu Lang pottery has its own unique characteristics, namely its glaze, which comes in shades of brown, dark brown, light yellow, and yellowish-brown, a glaze that pottery makers call "eel skin glaze." 
When the clay is brought in, the craftsman must dry it until its color fades, then mix it with other clays, pound it into small pieces the size of a thumb, and let it soak in water. Next, he rolls it into a ball, kneads it, removes impurities, breaks it up, and grinds it until the clay is smooth and fine. Before shaping, the clay piece must be kneaded ten times before being placed on the potter's wheel. A prominent characteristic of Phu Lang pottery village is the villagers' use of the raised relief method in the form of double carving, with natural, durable glaze colors; the pottery shapes are rustic yet robust, and the carvings are diverse. 
The raw materials for Phù Lãng pottery are made from the "bone" of reddish-pink clay taken from the Thống Vát and Cung Khiêm areas ( Bắc Giang ). 
Each finished ceramic product goes through many stages, from preparing the clay, shaping, cutting molds, drying, firing, assembling, etc., involving the participation of many people. 
More than a decade ago, the Phu Lang pottery village faced the risk of disappearing. But now, with over 200 kilns constantly burning, the craft has been revived. For pottery makers, being able to make a living from their craft is precious, so despite the hard work, their love for the profession remains unchanged. To maintain and develop the craft village, many pottery production facilities have proactively partnered with travel agencies to bring tourists , students, and university students to the area to visit and experience pottery making with the artisans. In 2024, the "Happy Vietnam" photo and video contest will continue to be organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications in coordination with the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists on the website. https://happy.vietnam.vn is open to all Vietnamese citizens and foreigners aged 15 and above. The competition aims to honor individuals and groups with positive informational products that make practical contributions to promoting a beautiful image of Vietnam to the world . Through this, it helps people at home, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends access authentic images of Vietnam, its people, its achievements in ensuring human rights, and towards a happy Vietnam. Each competition category (photos and videos) has the following prizes and prize values: – 1 Gold Medal: 70,000,000 VND – 2 Silver Medals: 20,000,000 VND – 3 Bronze Medals: 10,000,000 VND – 10 Consolation Prizes: 5,000,000 VND – 1 Most Voted entry: 5,000,000 VND. Winning authors will be invited by the Organizing Committee to attend the Award Ceremony and Certificate Presentation, broadcast live on Vietnam Television.Vietnam.vn
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