The visit was made just ten days after his unannounced tour to Bat Trang pottery village in Hanoi’s suburban district of Gia Lam.
According to researchers, the beginning of the ceramic craft of Chu Dau village dates back to the 11th century and nearly died out in the late 17th century.
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In 1992, an ancient shipwreck was recovered in waters off Cu Lao Cham (Cham islet) in south central Vietnam and as many as 400,000 pottery artifacts were found. Amongst these expensive items, several were discovered to have originated from a small village in northern Vietnam and only then did the once-lost craft of Chu Dau village enjoy a revival after nearly four decades.
Different from the white glaze and blue patterns that is considered an “East-meets-West” cultural product of Bat Trang, Chu Dau’s ceramics boast patterns that are “purely Vietnamese” with noticeable influences of Buddhism and Confucianism.
During his visit, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc spent much of his time at the Chu Dau Pottery JSC, a company that has reaped successes in the production and revival of Chu Dau pottery since its establishment in 2001. The Government leader visited the production areas, the ‘Chu Dau ceramic space,’ and was presented with products of the village.
In a meeting with the company’s staff and artisans, PM Phuc stressed the artistic values of the village’s pottery, a once famous product that has been exported across the world.
He extended his congratulations to Chu Dau Pottery JSC and praised its efforts to bring the Chu Dau’s brand name to international markets.
The PM also asked the company to pull out all the stops to maintain the artistry, show appreciation to the artists of the village and improve life quality of its workers.
Repeating the phrase of late General Vo Nguyen Giap, “Chu Dau pottery, the quintessence of the Vietnamese culture,” PM Phuc asked the Chu Dau JSC to expand its scope, focus on technology upgrade and bring the products to a wider audience around the world.
