Kim
Lan
Village is considered the cradle of household
ceramic wares in the old Thang Long Capital (present-day
Hanoi
). Thanks to the hands of
skilled artisans, clay from this village turns into beautiful and useful
products which are famous nationwide.
The village is located in
Gia Lam District, southeast of
Hanoi
, bordering Bat Trang, a
famous pottery making village in the north, and Hoang Mai District in the
west. It has a long-standing founding history and is one of the famous
pottery producing centres in the country.
The craft of making
ceramic wares brings a great benefit to Kim Lan
villagers.nbsp;
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Using lamps to dry pottery products is the most
effective way when the weather is humid.
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Ancient pottery relics found in Kim Lan are
preserved by Nguyen Viet Hong.
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Kim Lan villagers still preserve the technique
of producing ancient tiles.
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Ceramic
wares made by Kim Lan villagers are known for their practicality rather
than ornate design. The products are diverse in variety, from toothpick
and candle holders, to flowerpots, decanters and jars. Additionally, the
villagers also concentrate on producing pottery wares in service of
construction, such as decorative tiles, handrails, etc.
In 2001, Japanese
archaeologist Nishimura Masanari and students from Hanoi National University carried out an excavation in Kim Lan
relic site and found many pieces of high-grade ceramics, including Long
Tuyen and Viet Chau pottery of China at three sites. Of
particular interest was a cup with two ears that was used to drink wine
from the 11th century; a piece of deep blue
glazed plate with a diameter of 45cm decorated with phoenixes, first found
in Vietnam; and a vestige of a sugar furnace with an architectural
foundation of 20 x 10cm.
In early 2003, other
vestiges were found in Kim Lan area, including architectural and
decorative materials, ancient ceramic wares and relics of pottery kilns in
the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400). Based on the results of the three
excavations, the archaeologists came to the conclusion that Kim Lan Village was a centre producing
ancient ceramic wares in the 13th – 14th century.
Furthermore, the pottery products were possibly exported to foreign
countries because pieces of pottery in the Tran Dynasty have patterns
which are similar to that found in the
Philippines and
Indonesia
. So far,
people and archaeologists have found tens of thousands of relics in Kim
Lan that helps Ham Rong area in Kim Lan Commune be recognized as an
archaeological site.
Kim
Lan
Pottery
Village has now produced many kinds of
high-quality products which are not only provided to the domestic market
but also foreign countries, such as
Japan and
South Korea
. Together with the pottery villages
of Phu Lang in
Bac
Ninh
Province and Bat Trang in
Hanoi,
Kim
Lan
Village
has continued
preserving and promoting the traditional craft.
Story: Tri
Cong
Photos: Tat
Son |