Quintessence of Vietnamese agricultural products: Bat Trang’s pottery

Harmonizing traditional elements/practices with scientific and technological progress

Born and raised in the ancient pottery village of Bat Trang (Hanoi) and the 15th child in the Ha Huu family - one of the nineteen original families famous for pottery - Ha Thi Vinh, Director of Quang Vinh Pottery Ltd., always believes that pottery is a traditional profession and that future generations must always be grateful to their ancestors for the profession.

In an interview with Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper, Ha Thi Vinh maintains her point of view that, for the pottery profession, from the most talented craftsman to the clumsiest person, all must follow precise steps.

“Pottery requires elegance and knowledge. In the past, craftsmen have drawn a lot of valuable experiences from previous generations. Through vocational training and continuing traditions, these experiences have been preserved, studied and put into production", said Vinh.

Vietnam has long been involved in the process of globalization. Pottery is no different: it requires people to exchange and study suitable solutions, using advanced science and technology, to improve product quality, reduce production costs and minimize risks.

“The human factor will always be the most significant when it comes to craftsmanship or handmade pottery products. Pottery requires educated craftsmen with profound knowledge in the profession to excel," said a representative from the Quang Vinh pottery brand.

According to Ha Thi Vinh, Bat Trang pottery can described as a picture of "a myriad blooming flowers". Each brand has its own traits and quintessence. Quang Vinh pottery products are clearly distinguishable from other products on display here. Members of the Quang Vinh pottery family are able to study abroad and focus on research to create products of high technical and artistic quality.

“For example, the ultra-thin, ultra-light pottery line is a OCOP 5-star product line, launched for the international market and sold in thirty countries around the world. 95% of these products are for export to international markets”, said the Director of Quang Vinh Pottery Company.

“From pottery we have made a fortune for our family. From pottery our children and grandchildren have jobs, food, clothing, warmth and joy. Our forefathers have left us a very precious profession," said Ha Thi Vinh.

The success of Quang Vinh pottery is to have created products of high quality, favored by the world market and loved by international consumers. Making such high-quality products requires workers with high technical skills as well as the application of advances in science and technology.

These advances in science and technology have helped Quang Vinh pottery to launch different product lines with more technical and artistic content. Consequently they have established the standing of a sophisticated and artistic handicraft product.

The application of such science and technology will also help the company save on costs as well as fuel and input materials. The company has also raised the value of output products to a new height in the international market with the application of advanced technology to create products with delicate and unique designs.

Conquering 30 world markets

With over thirty years of experience in exporting pottery products to the international market, in addition to production research for breakthroughs, Quang Vinh Company also has staff thoroughly trained in marketing, helping to study foreign markets.

The company organizes foreign trade promotion programs and participates in many fairs every year, namely the Frankfurt Fair held in Germany in February every year. This is one of the largest fairs in the world for handicrafts and fine pottery. In addition to this event Quang Vinh pottery often participates in fairs in Hong Kong in October, Tokyo and Paris.

“This is one of the activities that Quang Vinh Company actively participates in to promote its products to demanding markets around the world. We also utilize commercial consultation channels of other countries to find markets,” said Ha Thi Vinh. 

After establishing a prestigious and high-quality brand foundation in the market, many customers have sought out Quang Vinh pottery. Therefore the company has always been operated under the knowledge that it is necessary to understand the current position of Quang Vinh products in the market.

It is also necessary to understand the trends and needs of the market in the future. The company must research even the smallest features and details in the interior design of consumers' countries including wall paint colors, background colors, ceiling designs and so on, to provide suitable pottery products.

Each country will have its own cultural and ethnic identity. The difficulty of manufacturers and exporters of handicrafts lies in how to make their products fit the tastes of the market as well as touch the hearts and emotions of consumers. 

“All of that requires research. Therefore the marketing department and the technical department of Quang Vinh Company always work closely together to seize the initiative and offer products that meet the requirements of the market", said Ha Thi Vinh.

 

Diligently preserving the national culture

According to Ha Thi Vinh, production in craft villages is among the weaker economies because it is not an industrial production field, not a key economic spearhead that the State will focus on in the future.

The director of Quang Vinh Pottery Co. Ltd. said that the State has given some attention but still not enough for this weak economy. Vietnam has a large number of craft villages across the country, with 1,350 craft villages and 308 traditional craft villages in Hanoi.

“It is an extremely valuable national culture. It is also the economy of rural areas, an important factor in maintaining social security in rural areas. Moreover craft villages are in charge of preserving the Vietnamese cultural identity, preserving the cultural identities that have existed since ancient times and have been passed down for generations. Despite hardships, craftsmen still love their ancestors' craft and are diligent to preserve as well as develop it. They don't give up their jobs, which is extremely precious and commendable," said Ha Thi Vinh.

As an affirmation that cultural identity is the profound greatness of each nation, she said, "We hope that the State as well as the public and local authorities pay more attention to promote the craft village economy, so that the children in the craft villages do not leave their hometowns; so that we can motivate the younger generations, train them with profound knowledge about the profession so that they can make a fortune right in their own hometown.”