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Favorable Geographical Location for Tourism Development


CHAPTER 2

POTENTIAL OF BAT TRANG TRADITIONAL CRAFT VILLAGE FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT


2.1 Overview of Bat Trang commune

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Bat Trang commune currently consists of two villages Bat Trang and Giang Cao combined, is one of 31 communes of Gia Lam district, formerly belonging to Bac Ninh province, since 1961 in the suburbs of Hanoi. The total area of ​​Bat Trang commune is 153 hectares, of which only 46 hectares are cultivated land.

2.1.1. Name

Favorable Geographical Location for Tourism Development

Bat Trang pottery is the general name for all types of pottery produced in Bat Trang village (鉢場?), a traditional and famous pottery village in Vietnam. According to Sino-Vietnamese, the word Bat (鉢) is the monk's bowl (in Sanskrit Patra), the word Trang (場?, also read as Truong) means "large yard", a piece of land reserved for expertise. According to the elders in the village, the word Bat on the left is the radical "Kim -金Đ " which is compared to wealth, "Ban -本?" means origin, source. Building the word Ban like that is to advise descendants "having a profession and career, one must not forget one's roots". Currently, in communal houses, temples, and pagodas in Bat Trang, there are still the words Bat Trang written in Chinese characters as鉢場?.

Evolution of the name Bat Trang:

Bat Trang village has nearly 1000 years of history if counted from the time the Nguyen Ninh Trang family (Thanh Hoa) migrated to Bat Trang today. With that long history, Bat Trang has gone through many different names:

Bach Tho Phuong (white clay ward) was the first name of Bat Trang in the early days when the Nguyen Ninh Trang family followed King Ly Cong Uan to move the capital from Truong Vinh Ninh (Thanh Hoa) to reclaim land and make pottery. Currently, Bat Trang communal house still preserves the horizontal plaque "Bach Tho Danh Son" marking this milestone.


Bat Trang Ward is the name of Bat Trang village in the early Tran Dynasty.

Bat Commune – this name appeared at the end of the Tran Dynasty. “Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu” volume 7 of the Tran Dynasty has a passage that says: “The water of the big river overflowed, broke the Bat – Khoi dike, flooded the rice fields…Chau Khoai, Chau Hong… the most damaged”. The Bat – Khoi dike here is the Bat Trang – Cu Khoi dike (the middle section of the Long Bien dike line).

– Xuan Quan today. In December of the year Binh Thin, the 4th year of Long Khanh (1376), history recorded that King Tran Nhan Tong brought 120,000 troops to pass through “Bac Xa river wharf”. Dao Duy Anh explained that “Bac Xa” is Bat Trang commune.

Bat Trang Commune – the official name to this day – appeared during the Early Le Dynasty. In his work Du dia chi, Nguyen Trai wrote: “…Bat Trang village has the craft of making bowls, Hue Cau has the craft of dyeing cloth…”

Along with the changes of history, Bat Trang has gone through many different names, but one thing remains constant: Bat Trang's pottery making profession is constantly developing; quality, style, and design are constantly improved and enhanced.

2.1.2. Favorable geographical location for tourism development

The village is located on the left bank of the Red River. According to the legend of the village's founding, this location was originally favorable for transporting raw materials for production and consuming products by river. But now, in addition to the river port, road traffic is also very convenient. It can be said that road is the main traffic route of the village.

In 1958, the State dug the Bac Hung Hai River - Bac Hung Hai Irrigation System to irrigate a large area of ​​fields in three provinces: Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, creating a new road to Bat Trang commune. Therefore, from Hanoi, you can follow the waterway from Chuong Duong wharf or Pha Den wharf, down the Red River to Bat Trang wharf. You can also follow the road through Chuong Duong bridge or Long Bien bridge, then follow the Red River dike to Giang Cao slope, turn down to Bat Trang (about 15 km) or follow National Highway 5 to Trau Quy, turn right along the inter-district road to Da commune.


Cost to Bat Trang (about more than 20 km).

Or from the center of Hanoi city, if going by water, you can start from Chuong Duong wharf along the Red River to Dinh Bat Trang wharf (Bat Trang tourist port), or by road across Chuong Duong bridge (or Long Bien bridge) along the Long Bien - Xuan Quan dike (Ta Hong dike) to Xuan Quan sluice (Bac Hung Hai irrigation project) then turn right and go about 1 km to reach the center of Bat Trang ancient village.

Or from Highway 5 turn to Trau Quy through Da Ton commune, go up the dike, turn left for 1 km to Xuan Quan culvert, then turn right (only about 7 km from Agricultural University I - Trau Quy)

Nowadays, traveling to Bat Trang is very convenient because since 2006, Hanoi Transport Company has opened bus route 47 to Bat Trang Ancient Village Pottery Market as the final stop.

Located on the banks of the Red River, Bat Trang is considered a stop for the Thang Long - Pho Hien tour on the Red River. The village has a river wharf that is very convenient for ships to dock and go straight to the ancient village of Bat Trang, to visit the pottery kilns.

2.1.3. The formation and development process of Bat Trang pottery village

2.1.3.1. History of the formation of Bat Trang pottery village

There are many different hypotheses about the birth of Bat Trang pottery village:

According to folk memory and custom, the Nguyen Ninh Trang family is the oldest and indigenous resident, so they hold a respected position in the hierarchy as well as in the village festival. It is said that in 1010, when King Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu (Ninh Binh) to Thang Long (present-day Hanoi), the Nguyen Ninh Trang family in Vinh Ninh school (Thanh Hoa) followed them to produce Vinh Ninh Truong bricks to serve the construction of the new capital.

Another hypothesis is that during the Ly Dynasty, there were three Thai Hoc Sinh: Hua Vinh Kieu (or Cao) - from Bat Trang, and Dao Tri Tien - from Tho Ha village.


and Liu Phuong Tu (or Liu Vinh Phong) - a native of Phu Lang village was sent as an envoy to the Northern Song Dynasty. After completing the mission, on the way back to the country through Thieu Chau (now Thieu Chau - Guangdong - China), they encountered a storm and had to stop. There was a famous pottery kiln here, the three men came to learn some techniques and brought them back to spread to their hometown people. Hua Vinh Kieu passed on to Bat Trang the white crackle glaze. Dao Tri Tien passed on to Tho Ha (Viet Yen - Bac Giang) the red-yellow glaze. Liu Phuong Tu passed on to Phu Lang (Que Vo - Bac Ninh) the dark red-yellow glaze. This story is also circulated in Tho Ha and Phu Lang with some differences in details. If so, the pottery profession in Bat Trang existed since the Ly Dynasty, equal to the Northern Song Dynasty, that is, before 1127.

According to legend, nearly six centuries ago, there was an old artisan with white hair and beard who came from Bo Bat village (Thanh Hoa) to Bat Trang to practice his craft and then passed on the craft of wheel-wheel pottery to the villagers. It is called wheel-wheel pottery because of the way he molded and polished the pottery on a tray that was always pedaled to make it spin. The story of this white-haired artisan is only passed down by word of mouth.

To date, no historical documents have been found to confirm the biographies of the three above-mentioned characters or the formation of the village. The only thing that is certain is that Bat Trang pottery appeared very early, in the late Hoa Binh culture and early Bac Son culture. During the development of the pottery craft, there were of course many exchanges with Chinese ceramics and there was much influence from Chinese ceramics.

According to historical records, the 14th - 15th centuries can be considered the time when Bat Trang pottery village was formed:

Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu recorded: " Nham Thin, Thieu Phong year 12 (1352), autumn month 7, flood water flooded, broke the dike of Bat and Khoi communes, rice fields were submerged. Khoai Chau, Hong Chau and Thuan An were the most damaged ". Bat commune is Bat Trang commune, Khoi commune is Tho Khoi commune, two communes along the dike on the left bank of Nhi river - Hong river today.


Also according to Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu, in 1376, during a southern expedition, King Tran Due Tong's fleet departed from Thang Long along the Nhi Ha River, passing through the Bat river wharf, also known as the Red River wharf, in Bat Trang commune.

Nguyen Trai's Geography records that "Bat Trang village makes bowls and plates" and also has a passage that says " Bat Trang belongs to Gia Lam district, Hue Cau belongs to Van Giang district. These two villages supplied offerings to China, including 70 sets of bowls and plates, 200 pieces of dark cloth... "

According to the genealogy of some families in Bat Trang such as Le, Trinh, Vuong, Pham, Nguyen... it is recorded that the ancestors migrated here from Bo Bat (Bo Bat is Bo Xuyen and Bach Bat). During the Later Le and early Nguyen dynasties, Bo Xuyen commune and Bach Bat village belonged to Bach Bat commune, Yen Mo district, Truong Yen prefecture, Thanh Hoa town. Today, Bo Xuyen and Bach Bat are two villages of Yen Thanh commune - Tam Diep - Ninh Binh, this area has a type of white clay that is very suitable for pottery making. According to legend and genealogy of some families such as Vu family in Bo Xuyen, in the past, Bo Bat residents specialized in pottery making for a long time. This is confirmed by the traces of layers of baked earth and dense ceramic pieces found in many places in this area.

The name Bat Trang first appeared fully and accurately as it is today in the work “Du dia chi” by Nguyen Trai in the 15th century. This name is a combination of the two words Ninh Trang and Bo Bat.

Along with the birth of the village was the birth of the ceramics industry. Since ancient times, Bat Trang people have lived and developed by the ceramics industry by exploiting the “72 white mounds” of Bach Tho ward.

By the end of the Le Dynasty, the source of clay for making pottery had run out, and Bat Trang people had to buy clay from Co Dien village in Vinh Phu or from Dau village in Bac Ninh. Bat Trang pottery in the early period was white pottery, and only later did they switch to lute pottery. lute pottery is a type of red “bone” pottery, with a flared mouth, thin and low. That is, the craftsman makes the “bone” of the pottery with red clay, and then lays a layer of clay on it.


white thin on the outside. This processing step has to be played to make the ceramic “bones” and “skin” thinner, that’s why it is called “zither”.

Currently, Bat Trang still uses soil from Dau Canh region, but at the same time they also use Lac Tu kaolin, Ho Lao white clay and Truc Thon (Dong Trieu - Quang Ninh) to produce white ceramic products.

2.1.3.2. Development process of pottery village

15th - 16th century: The Mac Dynasty's policy during this period towards industry and commerce was very open, not advocating trade suppression as before, so the commodity economy had favorable conditions for development, thanks to which Bat Trang ceramic products were widely circulated. Bat Trang ceramics of the Mac Dynasty had many products with inscriptions clearly stating the year of manufacture, the name of the person who ordered and the producer. Through these inscriptions, it can be seen that the people who ordered included a number of high-ranking officials and nobles of the Mac Dynasty such as: Princess Phuc Trang, Prince Consort Ngan Quan Cong, Da Quoc Cong Mac Ngoc Lien, My Quoc Cong Phu Nhan... The people who ordered were spread over a large area including many districts and prefectures in the Northern Delta and North Central regions.

16th - 17th century: After the geographical discoveries in the 15th century, many developed countries of Western Europe flooded into the East. A series of companies were established, and trade activities in the Southeast Asian region developed very vigorously. Meanwhile, in China, the Ming Dynasty advocated a closed-door policy, creating conditions for Bat Trang ceramics to expand their markets in Southeast Asia and Japan. The 15th - 17th century was a period of strong development of the Vietnamese ceramic export industry with two important and famous centers: Bat Trang and Chu Dau (Nam Sach - Hai Duong). With two urban areas and two large trade centers in the North, Thang Long and Pho Hien (Hung Yen), Bat Trang ceramic products were present in many countries in the region and in the world.

Late 17th century, early 18th century: The trade and export of Vietnamese ceramics declined rapidly because at this time the Qing Dynasty (China) abolished the policy of closing ports and trading with foreign countries, so Vietnamese ceramics


Vietnam in general and Bat Trang ceramics in particular have to compete fiercely with Chinese ceramics.

18th - 19th century: During this period, the Trinh and Nguyen governments implemented a policy of restricting foreign trade, causing Vietnam's foreign trade relations to decline, including ceramic products. This caused some ceramic villages to interrupt production, such as Chu Dau and Bat Trang ceramic villages. Although they were also affected, they still maintained their vitality thanks to a large domestic market for household items, worship items, decorative items, and bricks. And Bat Trang ceramic village is still a famous traditional ceramic production center in the country.

From the 19th century to present: During the French colonial period, Bat Trang pottery kilns, although facing competition from a number of ceramic and imported enterprises, still maintained normal operations.

After the country was completely liberated, in Bat Trang, a series of ceramic enterprises and cooperatives were established such as: Bat Trang Ceramic Enterprise, X51 Enterprise, Hop Thanh Cooperative... These establishments provided domestic consumer goods, some fine art products and some export products. With famous artisans such as Dao Van Can, Nguyen Van Khieu, Le Van Tan...

After 1986, Bat Trang pottery village had a big change towards market economy. Cooperatives were dissolved or transformed into joint stock companies, large companies were established but there were still many production groups and small family-based production units. And this place became a major ceramic center of the country.

Nowadays, Bat Trang ceramic products are increasingly rich and diverse. In addition to traditional products, pottery kilns also produce many new products to meet domestic consumption needs as well as export orders. Bat Trang ceramic products are present in many countries around the world from Asia to Europe. Bat Trang attracts many human resources from all over to create new designs and improve


Advances in production technology. Some artisans have had initial success in restoring some traditional ceramics with unique designs and glazes from the Ly, Tran, Le, Mac dynasties...

2.2. Identity of Bat Trang ceramic village

2.2.1. The land turns to gold

According to the ancients, talking about ceramic products means talking about the harmonious combination of the five elements (Metal - Wood - Water - Fire - Earth). Metal is soaked in the bone and in the ceramic glaze, creating the beauty and mystery of the color. Straw, bamboo, firewood, wood create fire and create "fire, transformation", the agent of durability in the ceramic bone, the bright shiny color of the ceramic coat. Water mixes with soil to create the shape of the ceramic and illustrate the symbols of the soul. Fire is the father who creates the quality and color of the ceramic. Soil is the mother who creates the flesh and bones of the ceramic. All of these elements have created the value of ceramic products. To pray for prosperity, Bat Trang potters in the past, every time they lit a fire, lit three incense sticks and prayed for the five elements to be smooth and their career to progress.

At first, Bat Trang craftsmen exploited white clay right in the village. This material ensured flexibility, little residue and little reinforcement before shaping. By the end of the Le Dynasty, the white clay mounds of Bach Tho Ward had run out, Bat Trang craftsmen used soil taken from Rau (Son Tay), Co Dien (Phuc Yen) and especially Dau Canh soil (Dong Anh). From the end of the Le Dynasty onwards, Bat Trang people used Dau River soil as the main raw material.

Until the end of the last century, on the one hand, Bat Trang craftsmen continued to use Dau Canh soil to produce furniture, on the other hand, they also used Lac Tu kaolin, Ho Lao and Truc Thon (Dong Trieu) white clay. These were the raw materials to produce white porcelain.

In the process of shaping ceramics, in the past in Bat Trang, the popular way was to use the hand-smoothing method on a turntable. Depending on the object to be made, the craftsman used his feet to rotate or his hands to smooth it. As a result, they created simple products.

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