Bat Trang has become a popular tourist destination in Hanoi, attracting millions of visitors each year. With its rich cultural heritage, exploring the Bat Trang pottery village is sure to provide you with unforgettable experiences on your journey to discover the capital. Moreover, this place offers picturesque spots for virtual living and photo ops, garnering likes from many young enthusiasts. Let’s explore it together.
Location in Hanoi
Traveling to Bat Trang is always an intriguing experience for tourists visiting the capital. As a traditional village with a history of over 500 years, Bat Trang pottery village has maintained its cultural beauty since the time of our ancestors.
According to historical records, this craft village was formed during the Ly Dynasty, around the 14th-15th centuries. When the Ly Dynasty moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long, five famous pottery-making families – Vương, Nguyễn, Trần, Lê, Phạm – relocated to the reclaimed land along the Red River and joined forces to develop the pottery craft.
Despite the ups and downs of history, the Bat Trang pottery village has now become a symbol of the traditional cultural craft of Hanoi and a source of pride for the city’s residents. From the skillful hands of artisans, the seemingly ordinary clay has transformed into unique cultural and artistic works, attracting millions of visitors each year.
Guide to Visiting Bat Trang Pottery Village
Located in Bat Trang commune, Gia Lam district, Hanoi, about 10 km from the city center and 40 km from Noi Bai Airport, traveling to and exploring Bat Trang pottery village is relatively easy. Visitors can get there by private vehicles such as cars, motorbikes, or buses.
- If traveling by bus: You can take a bus to Long Bien transfer station, then take route 47 to Bat Trang pottery village.
- If traveling by private vehicle: From the center of Hanoi, follow the roads to Chương Dương Bridge (or Vĩnh Tuy Bridge). Continue along the riverbank to reach Bat Trang village.
Hands-On Pottery Experience at Bat Trang Village
When visiting Bat Trang pottery village, don’t miss the hands-on experience of creating a unique piece using your creativity. You can choose a place to participate in this fun activity at a cost ranging from 50,000 VND to 70,000 VND.
The pottery-making process at Bat Trang includes steps such as preparing clay, shaping, glazing, and firing. These steps require carefulness and skill to produce beautiful and high-quality ceramic products. The special thing is that you can personally make pottery and experience the unique feeling when your creations are completed. This process not only helps you relax but also enhances your understanding of the traditional pottery craft and culture of Bat Trang.
Must-Visit Places in the Bat Trang Travel Journey
Known as a “living museum,” Bat Trang leaves a mark on international tourists with its ancient cultural beauty. To make your Bat Trang travel journey more complete and meaningful, you should definitely visit the following attractions:
Ancient Bat Trang Village:
Setting foot in Bat Trang without visiting the ancient village is a missed opportunity. This unique entrance boasts ancient architecture with a style reminiscent of the past. The ancient Bat Trang village still preserves its ancient charm with narrow alleys and moss-covered old houses. In particular, the image of green-covered walls, pottery drying racks along the village roads, communal yards, or stone pillars is perfect for creating your ideal virtual living and Instagrammable photos.
Pottery Market:
If you want to explore Bat Trang pottery village, you must visit the pottery market area. This is not only a place to display and sell delicate pottery products for tourists to buy as gifts but also where visitors can learn about the kneading process to create complete works by famous artisans.
Bat Trang Pottery Museum:
The location that tourists share check-in photos enthusiastically on social media whenever they have the opportunity to travel to Bat Trang is the Bat Trang Pottery Museum. This relatively new construction with 7 giant intertwined spirals represents 7 soft hands turning pottery, making the museum an impressive focal point that captures the hearts of tourists.
In addition, this building also uses local fired bricks and Bat Trang tiles to honor the rustic, simple, and characteristic features of the traditional craft village. With an entrance fee of 30,000 VND per person, you can freely explore the museum, take photos, observe products made from ceramics, or personally make pottery and sculptures to preserve memories.
Enjoying the Famous Cuisine of Bat Trang Village
Traveling to Bat Trang without trying its famous specialties would be a missed opportunity. Bat Trang pottery is renowned among food enthusiasts for its delicious and unique dishes such as grilled rice cakes, hot sesame cakes, wild flower seed sweet soup, Dong Du ốc fruit, etc. Especially, do not forget to savor the local traditional dish, which is the squid ink bamboo shoot soup.
The harmony of the golden color of bamboo shoots with the subtly sweet broth, the long-lasting crispiness of bamboo shoots and squid, creates an irresistible flavor. Ensuring that the Bat Trang village cuisine, after just one taste, will leave a lasting impression.
I hope that with the recent sharing, you will have the essentials for your exciting Bat Trang travel journey. Capture those wonderful and meaningful moments in this famous traditional craft village of Hanoi.