Crafting Souls: The Art of Dong Trieu Ceramics in Quang Ninh

Forged at high temperatures, Dong Trieu ceramics retain their natural beauty and durability. With fervent passion, the artisans of this village keep the flame alive, preserving the heritage of their craft.

Crafting Souls: The Art of Dong Trieu Ceramics in Quang Ninh

Located approximately 60km from Halong City, Dong Trieu district boasts a renowned ceramic tradition. Compared to Bat Trang, Phu Lam, Kim Lan, Dong Trieu ceramics are relatively youthful, yet its artisans never cease to take pride in their ancestral craft.

In 1955, the craft began to flourish here, with only two workshops initially. Over time, however, ceramics faced decline, with many families abandoning their kilns due to competition from plastic, stainless steel, aluminum, and other materials.

Initially, Dong Trieu ceramics featured simple decorative plates or geometric patterns. Within a few years, teapots, cups, and jars, following the wooden mold style of Bat Trang ceramics, emerged.

Following that, ceramics here adopted the pouring technique from Hai Duong ceramics. Now, Dong Trieu ceramics are present nationwide, and pottery-making has become the main occupation of the locals in this area.

To craft ceramic products of standard quality and aesthetics, artisans must strictly adhere to the processes of selecting, processing, and blending clay, shaping, designing patterns, glazing, and ultimately firing.

All stages in the production of Dong Trieu ceramics are equally important. Being a fiery craft village, the production process primarily involves manual processes, requiring direct hand manipulation.

As a result, Dong Trieu ceramics differ from those produced in large mechanized factories. This difference poses limitations but also offers many advantages, such as the soul infused into each meticulously crafted piece by the artisans.

Starting from raw clay materials, artisans undergo numerous stages of sieving, filtering out impurities to obtain soft, smooth, and malleable clay. If the clay contains impurities or is not properly filtered, the resulting product will not meet the standard structure.

After preparing the materials, artisans skillfully shape the soft curves of ceramic products on the pottery wheel or meticulously arrange molds. Due to the manual labor involved, creating a ceramic product requires a considerable amount of time, depending on its shape and size. Then comes the stage of painting, depicting a variety of images such as mountains, landscapes, and people.

The final step is firing the products at high temperatures, ranging from 1,300 to 1,400 degrees Celsius for 4 to 5 hours depending on the item. As ceramics require intense heat, the kilns here are all fueled by wood. During the firing process, the flames must be regulated to ensure even heat distribution throughout the kiln.

Each type of wood yields different colors of glaze due to variations in burning temperatures, and the ash layers from the wood also play a significant role in creating highlights on the glaze surface.

Artisans here have invested time in researching material composition and designing firing kilns. And because they are made from carefully selected materials, meticulously processed clay, and fired at high temperatures, Dong Trieu ceramics boast high durability and exceptionally clear glaze.

The ceramic products are also exported to various countries including South Korea, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan, receiving high praise for their quality and designs. Despite being relatively young, Dong Trieu ceramics exude charm, bringing meaningful artistic creations to life.

According to Mytour

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