Khanh Hoa (VNA) – The first Bau Truc Cham Pottery Festival 2026 opened on October 10 in Ninh Phuoc commune, the south-central province of Khanh Hoa, celebrating the Cham people's pottery-making art and promoting local cultural heritage and community-based tourism.
Held during the Kate festival, the event showcases Bau Truc pottery, My Nghiep brocade weaving, OCOP products, local cuisine and tourism attractions. Visitors can browse pottery ranging from everyday items such as vases, jars and pots to decorative pieces, watch artisans at work and join a “One day as a Bau Truc potter” experience.
Artisan Chau Thi Nghiep said pottery-making has been passed down through generations of Cham women. Children in the village grow up watching their mothers and grandmothers select and prepare clay, shape products, decorate them and fire them. She hopes younger generations will learn the craft, understand its value and preserve the skills handed down by their ancestors.
Bau Truc pottery is distinguished by its traditional handmade techniques. Without pottery wheels or moulds, Cham women use their hands to shape clay, water and fire into unique products that embody the community's folk knowledge, customs, memories and cultural identity.
Quang Thuc Doan, Chairman of the Ninh Phuoc commune People's Committee, noted that the Cham people's pottery-making art was inscribed on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2022.
He stressed that Bau Truc pottery represents more than clay products, carrying the craftsmanship, daily life, beliefs and spirit of generations of Cham people. Many elderly artisans continue to pass on their skills despite their advanced age.
Preserving the heritage requires ensuring that the craft continues to be practised, passed down and valued in contemporary life, he said. The locality plans to support artisans in training younger generations, encourage cooperatives and producers to improve quality and diversify products, and strengthen promotion, market access and links with cultural and community-based tourism.
Ninh Phuoc also hopes to connect Bau Truc pottery with My Nghiep brocade weaving, Kate celebrations, Cham cuisine and community experiences to develop new tourism products, create jobs and raise local incomes. The festival is expected to inspire younger people to take pride in their heritage and keep the craft alive as older artisans gradually retire.
The programme also brought the pottery story to life through artistic performances under the theme “The soul of Bau Truc pottery”. Cham instrumental music, folk songs and dances recreated the community's cultural life and the craft's history.
The highlight was the “Bau Truc flame” ceremony. Accompanied by Ginang and Paranung drums and Saranai horns, a ceremonial fire was lit as performers danced around it, inviting residents and visitors to join. The flame symbolised the bond between the land, the craft and successive generations.
For Bau Truc villagers and artisans, the festival is not merely a showcase of products but also an opportunity to meet customers, share the stories behind their creations and help young people experience and understand their ancestors' craft firsthand./.
