The ancient Bau Truc pottery village in Ninh Phuoc district, the south-central province of Ninh Thuan, has breathed fresh air into a craft recently added to the UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Local residents have not only preserved traditional craftsmanship but also created innovative products and developed community-based tourism.

The village, one of the oldest of its kind in Southeast Asia, maintains entirely handcrafted production methods without using pottery wheels. With clay and tools made from bamboo, seashells, and plant-based dyes, skilled Cham ethnic artisans shape soulful objects through kneading, turning, and moulding. The traditional open-air firing process gives the pottery its distinctive coloration with yellow-red, pink-red, gray-black, and brown hues.

Along with items for the Cham religious practices and popular household items like jars, pots, and stoves, Bau Truc artisans have combined cultural elements and techniques to improve designs and quality, and diversify their products to include vases, water bottles and lamps that feature Cham cultural symbols. Products range from tens of thousands to millions of VND depending on size and intricacy.

According to Director of the Bau Truc Cham Pottery Cooperative Phu Huu Minh Thuan, with nearly 50 members, the cooperative has worked to enhance the value of pottery products. Currently, the pottery is not limited to the Cham culture but it incorporates other Vietnamese elements and western ones to improve the product quality for broader appeal. Besides, the cooperative has improved service quality, renovated product displays, and build new experience programmes for visitors.

With tourists increasingly interested in craft village tourism, Bau Truc pottery village has become a standout destination in Ninh Thuan province, receiving throngs of visitors over the recent past, he said, adding the UNESCO recognition has become an impetus for the cooperative to branch out its production.

Here, along with observing artisans demonstrating sophisticated and artistic pottery-shaping techniques, tourists have opportunities to create simple items and try the firing process like genuine potters.

Nguyen Tieu My, a tourist from the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long, expressed her impression on Bau Truc pottery due to its distinctive colours and diverse patterns.

The Bau Truc pottery village is now home to two cooperatives and 11 production and business establishments, engaging about 300 households. The village, considered a living Cham pottery museum in the south-central region, is undergoing significant transformation with various experience tourism activities and product promotion at fairs and exhibitions, attracting the community’s interest.

Ninh Thuan province has initiated a project worth over 205 billion VND (7.88 million USD) to preserve and promote the values of the art of the Cham pottery making. It comprises two main phases, with the first one during 2025–2028 focusing on removing the heritage from the urgent safeguarding list, while the second from 2028 onward aiming to inscribe this heritage on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Long Bien stated that Ninh Thuan has paid due attention to socio-economic development, ensuring that the Cham community benefits from traditional cultural heritage.

To deliver on the goal, the local administration has tasked the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism with coordinating cross-sector efforts as well as developing support policies for the development of the craft village. The department is now collaborating with Ninh Phuoc district and consultants to find optimal approaches that support sustainable livelihoods, preserve the heritage while boosting cultural tourism./.