Project unit 1

Khánh and Nam Phương: Welcome back to the 24h News

Khánh: I’m Khánh
Phương: and I’m Phương. The last new of today’s newsletter is: “A pottery-making workshop in
Bat Trang with a value of more than 100 years old”
Khánh: As far as you know, Bat Trang pottery and porcelain has been a unique cultural feature
of Hanoi. In the 10th century, when King Ly Cong Uan relocated the capital in Thang Long, with
the establishment and development of the capital, many businessmen, crafters from many areas
come to settle down here to work and trade so the ceramic industry has started.
Phương: Yes, and Bat Trang is a small craft village which is located in the north of Vietnam and
it is said to be established in 14th or 15th century. This village has gradually changed from a
normal craft village into a famous ceramic and pottery centre until now.
Khánh: Next we will contact with our reporter, Mrs Sâu con who will give us some interesting
information
Phương: Hi Mrs Sâu! The connection is good, isn’t it?
Sâu: So great here! Now I’m in Bat Trang craft village which is located in Gia Lam district of
Hanoi. It is about more than 10km south east of the city center. As far as I know, in this village,
there was a lot of white clay- the most important things to create ceramic products. Now I will
interview some special people here.
Sâu: This is Ly and Linh who are both amazing artisans. Hi there!
Both Ly and Linh: Hello.
Sâu: So how long has this workshop been established?
Ly: About 150 years ago, our great great-grandfather started his own workshop. And this
tradition has gone through 6 generations.
Sâu: Wow! Wonderful. I know that Bat Trang’s products are very diverse, aren’t they?
Ly: Yes, of course. The products are divided into 3 kinds based on the purpose of using.
First are the utilitarian wares including plates, bowls, teacups, kettles, wine bottles, flowerpots,
vases, jar,… They are thicker than Chinese ones.
Linh: Next we have worshiping wares such as comprise lamp stands, candle holders, incense
burner, altar boxes, swords… Finally are the decorative objects: house models, altars, statues and
architectural fixtures.
Sâu: Awesome. I wonder how all that pottery products was made. Can you show me?
Linh: Sure. To produce a complete product, you must follow 3 steps. The first step is making the
product frame. The artisans select the suitable clay, treat it and start making a raw product. It
must be repaired to get the best appearance. Secondly, you decorate and cover it with glazes.
Ly: Last but not least, the raw products are baked in 3 days and 3 nights. There are several kinds
of kiln, but the temperature must be at 12000 or 13000 Celsius
Sâu: What is the special thing of the products?
Ly: The best question. The special thing is the unique decorations on the products. Thanks to a
long–lasting history and development, the products have been accumulated with a lot of different
special designs.
Linh: One more thing that makes them distinguished is the glaze, which is high- quality and
variety for their colors, such as blue, brown, white, moss green, in both breaking and melting
glazes.
Sâu: I know that there have appeared a number of competitors both domestically and
internationally who take advantages of high technology. How do you think about that?
Linh: It's hard to avoid it. However, most of the customers prefer the craft products that contain
historical and traditional values.
Sâu: Thanks for giving us the most useful information. Now let's go back to the studio with
Khanh and Phuong
Khánh: Thank you Mrs Sâu and 2 best artisans for this interesting interview
Phương: We should be proud of those traditional values that will be passed down forever from
generation to generation.
Khánh and Phương: The program's time is now over. Goodbye and see you again in the next
newsletter.