The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism has signed a decision to include the pottery making craft in Sa Huynh and the mat making craft in Ca Hom into the list of national intangible cultural heritages, a type of traditional craft.

Pottery making in Sa Huynh

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) has recognized the pottery making craft in Sa Huynh as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Quang Ngai is considered the cradle of Sa Huynh culture and pottery is the soul of that culture. From 2,000 to 2,500 years ago, Sa Huynh culture residents produced many types of pottery with rich forms, sophisticated patterns, diverse decorations, reaching a high level of both technique and aesthetics.

Sa Huynh ceramic vase. (Source: Culture Newspaper)

Sa Huynh pottery is rich in types, diverse in designs and raw materials are sourced right where Sa Huynh residents live. These are types of jars, pots, vases, bowls and plates... with unique pottery making styles, reflecting the culture of coastal residents of Vietnam from the late Neolithic period to the early Iron Age.

Sa Huynh pottery has existed for a long time, a profession passed down from father to son. Over time, the number of households that still maintain the traditional pottery making profession can be counted on the fingers of one hand, concentrated in Trung Son and Vinh An villages (Pho Khanh commune, Duc Pho town). This place is located right next to An Khe lagoon, which is also the cradle of Sa Huynh culture.

Unlike other smooth glazed ceramics with colorful and eye-catching patterns, Sa Huynh ceramics are completely natural, handmade and fired for 14 to 24 hours.

Workers restore and revive ancient pottery. (Source: Culture Newspaper)

The revival of ancient Sa Huynh pottery is marked by the establishment of the Sa Huynh Prehistoric Pottery Cooperative in late November 2023.

The cooperative was born as a result of the project “Building community tourism products associated with Sa Huynh Cultural Site and An Khe Lagoon” invested by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ngai province. The purpose is to accompany and support the remaining potters in Sa Huynh to restore and simulate techniques and patterns to revive this pottery genre.

Ca Hom mat making profession

In Decision No. 2321/QD-BVHTTDL issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ca Hom mat making profession of the Khmer people in Ham Tan commune, Tra Cu district, Tra Vinh province was included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage, a type of traditional handicraft.

Ca Hom mat weaving is a traditional craft being preserved and promoted by the Khmer people of Tra Vinh province. (Source: Industry and Trade Magazine)

The Ca Hom mat weaving profession is concentrated in the hamlets of Cho, Ca Hom and Ben Ba of Ham Tan commune, Tra Cu district, Tra Vinh province. The craft village was formed in the late 19th century. From self-production, self-consumption, and gift-giving, Ca Hom mats gradually became famous and known to many people from the 1960s until now, thanks to their outstanding quality, durability, beauty, and unique patterns.

Ca Hom mat products include: white mats, colored mats, printed mats, and mats with printed letters, of which the most prominent is the floral mat with 5 main colors: white, red, blue, yellow and purple.

Images and patterns are often carefully selected by artisans for each of their products, to suit consumer tastes or the requirements of traders, especially double-sided woven mats, which require skill and sophistication, and aesthetics in each weaving line.

In 2014, the Tra Vinh province recognized the mat weaving profession as a craft village. The craft village was also included in the province's list of craft villages in need of preservation and development due to the risk of being lost.

Thus, up to now, Tra Vinh has 8 national intangible cultural heritages, including: "Cham Rieng Cha Pay" art of the Khmer ethnic group; Ok Om Bok festival of the Khmer ethnic group in Tra Vinh; "Don ca tai tu Nam Bo" art; "My Long sea worship festival" in My Long town, Cau Ngang district; Robam art of the Khmer people in Tra Vinh province; Vu Lan Thang Hoi festival in Cau Ke district; Dom Long Neak Ta festival of the Khmer people and Ca Hom mat making craft of the Khmer people.