Unique traditional features in Tru Son 'pot village'
(Baonghean.vn) - In the space of a traditional craft village, many unique and endearing old features are still preserved, which is a prominent characteristic of the earthenware pottery village in Tru Son commune, Do Luong district.
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The village of Thuong Giap was once the cradle of the earthenware pottery craft in Tru Son commune. Along with the general development of Luong region, the area of the earthenware pottery village has now become bustling, with houses built close together. Photo: Huy Thu |
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Alongside the new, spacious, and modern houses, the village still retains old tiled-roof houses built about half a century ago, serving as familiar spaces for the pot makers of Tru Son. Photo: Huy Thu |
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In the "pot-making village," many old houses are still inhabited, or the owners have left their hometown but have lent them to local people, turning them into important pot-making facilities in the region. Some households have built new, large, and beautiful houses, but still keep the old ones to use as places to mold and dry pots. Photo: Huy Thu |
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Within the grounds of these old houses, from the houses themselves to the yards and gardens, everything is used for the production of earthenware pots. The artisans can simultaneously make, dry, and fire the pots, as well as gather them before shipping. Photo: Huy Thư |
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According to locals, the pottery-making craft requires a large space for drying and storing firewood and straw for cooking. Therefore, old houses with spacious yards that receive plenty of sunlight are ideal for drying pottery, while newer houses with large corrugated iron roofs that cover the entire yard are not very convenient. Photo: Huy Thu |
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Ms. Nguyen Thi Luong (52 years old) from Hamlet 6, Tru Son Commune, said: "During the pottery-making process, I borrowed an old house from an acquaintance to practice my craft. When it's sunny, people can make pots inside the house, on the porch, or dry them in the yard or on the porch. When it rains, it's very convenient to move the pots inside. That's one of the important reasons why old houses with moss-covered tiled roofs continue to exist alongside the pottery-making craft." (Photo: Huy Thu) |
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| The revival of the pottery craft, along with the changes in the homeland, has brought prosperity to the "pottery village," making life less arduous for the people involved. However, the familiar working environment of the "pottery village" is still preserved, or rather, remains closely intertwined with them, like an organic and intimate relationship. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| The old-fashioned setting of houses, gardens, clay pots, kilns, firewood, leaves... at the "pot village" is not only suitable for the craft of "shaping clay into flowers," but also creates a familiar, intimate, and attractive space that sparks curiosity in tourists who come to visit and experience it. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| The "old-world" atmosphere of the "pot-making village" is also reflected in the wooden houses with walls filled with clay pots, and the wooden barns that were once used for raising buffalo and cattle but have now been converted into storage areas for the reddish-brown clay pots. The sound of the pots being knocked on echoes in the old-world space, evoking a whole realm of familiar memories. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| In the families and workshops still practicing the pottery craft in Tru Son, you'll find not only elderly artisans—most of the potters are middle-aged or older—but also old wooden molds, and special items like bicycles and baskets that were once used to carry pots for selling door-to-door. (Photo: Huy Thu) |
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Upon arriving at the pottery village, visitors can also walk along familiar village roads bearing the indelible mark of time, with old house walls and fences built of laterite stone that have weathered from rain and sun. The old-world charm, uniqueness, and endearing nature of the pottery village truly leave an unforgettable impression on tourists who come here to visit and experience it. Photo: Huy Thu |
