Preserving traditional Cham pottery
Cham pottery is still preserved in two localities, the old Ninh Thuan and the old Binh Thuan, the most famous of which is Bau Truc pottery village (Ninh Phuoc commune).
People here still keep the traditional manual processing technique, completely without using modern machinery or equipment.
Ms. Truong Thi gatch (83 years old, Bau Truc pottery village) said that the art of pottery making is passed down from generation to generation according to the system of models. She was taught the profession by her mother at the age of 10, from the first operations such as selecting soil, molding, squeezing and shaping.
A characteristic of Bau Truc pottery brand is that each product is handmade, without repeating any prototypes.
The clay craftsman places the clay block on the pillars, then moves them back and forth to shape and shape the product - a specific technique that only Cham people use.
Before finishing, the artisan will use a thin fabric to gentlymatch the surface to create a smooth finish. Clay for pottery is exploited from the fields at the end of the Quao River bank, at a depth of about 40cm - a type of soil with high conductivity and has been used by the Cham people for hundreds of years.
After exploitation, people filled the land to continue silting and using it for the next crop.
Heritage conservation efforts have been recognized by UNESCO
At the end of 2022, "The art of pottery making of the Cham people" was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage that needs urgent protection.
This is both a source of pride and a pressure for the locality to strengthen conservation solutions.
In December 2025, the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province approved the Project "Managing, protecting and promoting the value of intangible cultural heritage of the pottery making art of the Cham people" for the period 2025 - 2028 and the following years.
This is considered an urgent step to preserve the Cham pottery craft - a heritage that has existed for hundreds of years and is closely linked to the cultural and economic life of the Cham community.
Khanh Hoa's project aims to remove heritage from the need for urgent protection by 2026; by 2027, build quality standards, register the "Gom Cham" trademark for Bau Truc products.
At the same time, complete the planning to protect the cultural space of craft villages and develop a community tourism model.
From 2028 - 2030 and the following years, the province will promote the recognition of "Cham people's pottery art" as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
The total cost of the project is more than 205 billion VND, including infrastructure construction, heritage protection and promotion, vocational training, and development of the Cham pottery market. Of which, the central and local budgets are about 163.5 billion VND; the rest is mobilized from socialized sources.
For the Cham Bau Truc people, pottery making is not only a livelihood but also a cultural core of the community.
Despite many historical changes, they still persevere in their profession. This conservation project is expected to help preserve unique pottery making techniques, create sustainable livelihoods and spread heritage values more widely.
