Fired at high temperatures, Dong Trieu ceramics retain their natural beauty and offer high durability. With passion, the craft village's artisans still keep the fire burning day and night to preserve their traditional craft.
Dong Trieu Ceramics – The Craft of Breathing Soul into Clay in Quang Ninh
Dong Trieu District, located about 60 km from Ha Long City, is famous for its ceramic craft. Compared to Bat Trang, Phu Lam, Kim Lan, and others, Dong Trieu ceramics in Quang Ninh is still relatively young, yet the local artisans have never lacked pride in their traditional trade.
Ceramic products. Photo: Finance Magazine.
In 1955, the pottery craft here began to emerge, with only two workshops at the time. For a long period, the craft declined, and many families had to tear down their kilns due to the rise of products made from plastic, stainless steel, aluminum, and more.
Photo: langmoi.vn.
The first Dong Trieu ceramic products were merely simply decorated bowls and plates or carved with geometric patterns. A few years later, various teapots, cups, and small pots appeared, shaped using wooden molds in the style of Bat Trang pottery.
Painting patterns on ceramics. Photo: langmoi.vn.
Later, the pottery here developed following the slip-casting technique of Hai Duong ceramics. Today, Dong Trieu ceramics are present across the country, and pottery has also become the main occupation of people in this area.
Pottery kiln. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
To create ceramic products that meet quality and aesthetic standards, artisans must always strictly follow the steps of selecting, processing, and mixing clay, shaping, decorating, glazing, and finally firing.
Raw products before firing. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
All stages in the process of creating ceramic products are equally important. As a high-fire pottery craft village, the production process of Dong Trieu ceramics still mainly relies on manual steps that must be performed directly by hand.
Ceramic products with high durability. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Therefore, Dong Trieu ceramics differs from pottery produced in large factories with modern machinery. This difference brings certain limitations, but also many advantages—namely, the soul in each product, meticulously and delicately brought out by the artisans.
Painting patterns and glazing. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
From raw clay material, artisans must carry out multiple screening stages to eliminate impurities, obtaining soft, smooth, and pliable clay. If the clay still contains impurities or is not thoroughly filtered, the finished product will not achieve the proper standard texture.
Tourists choosing and buying ceramics. Photo: VnBusiness.
After preparing the materials, the craftsman shapes soft curves for the ceramic products on the potter's wheel, or meticulously arranges the molds. Because they are handmade, producing a ceramic product takes quite a lot of time, depending on its shape and size. Then comes the painting stage, where strokes depicting mountains, scenery, people... create a rich variety of imagery.
Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
The final stage is firing the products at high temperatures, from 1,300 to 1,400°C for 4 to 5 hours depending on the product. Because it is high-fired pottery, the kilns here are all fueled with firewood. During the firing process, the flame must be regulated so that the tongues of fire mainly reach the front, back, or middle of the kiln.
Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Each type of firewood produces different glaze colors because they burn at different temperatures, and the layers of wood ash are also an important factor in forming accents on the glaze.
Durable, high-fired products. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
The potters here have spent time researching how to mix raw materials and design kilns. And being made from selected materials, thoroughly processed clay, and fired at high temperatures, Dong Trieu ceramics have high durability and a very clear glaze.
The pottery village creates jobs for many workers. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Ceramic products are also exported to many countries, such as South Korea, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan... and are highly appreciated for their quality and designs. Dong Trieu ceramics , though young, still possesses its own charm, bringing meaningful works of art to life.
