Viet Nam News
HA NOI — Ten days after a surprise visit to Bat Trang pottery village in Ha Noi, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc yesterday visited Chu Dau Village in the northern province of Hai Duong, considered one of the ‘cradles of Viet Nam’s ceramics.’
According to researchers, the beginning of the ceramic craft of Chu Dau Village dates back to the 11th century and nearly died out in the late 17th century.
In 1992, an ancient shipwreck was recovered in waters off Cu Lao Cham (Cham Islet) in south-central Viet Nam and as many as 400,000 pottery artifacts were found. Amongst these expensive items, several were discovered to have originated from a small village in northern Viet Nam, and only then did the once-lost craft of Chu Dau Village enjoy a revival after nearly four decades.
Different from the white glaze and blue patterns that is considered an East-meets-West cultural product of Bat Trang, Chu Dau’s ceramics boast patterns that are “purely Vietnamese” with noticeable influences of Buddhism and Confucianism.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc yesterday spent much of his time at the Chu Dau Pottery JSC, a company that has reaped successes in the production and revival of Chu Dau pottery since its establishment in 2001. The Government leader visited the production areas, the ‘Chu Dau ceramic space,’ and was presented with products of the village.
In a meeting with the company’s staff and artisans, PM Phuc stressed the artistic values of the village’s pottery, a once famous product that has been exported across the world.
He extended his congratulations to Chu Dau Pottery JSC and praised its efforts to bring the Chu Dau’s brand name to international markets.
He also asked the company to pull out all the stops to maintain the artistry, show appreciation to the artists of the village and improve life quality of its workers.
Repeating the phrase of the late General Vo Nguyen Giap, “Chu Dau pottery, the quintessence of the Vietnamese culture,” PM Phuc asked the Chu Dau JSC to expand its scope, focus on technology upgrade and bring the products to a wider audience around the world. — VNS