Connecting cultural heritage with tourism from Bau Truc pottery village

On the occasion of the Cham people's Kate Festival, from October 10 to 12, Ninh Phuoc commune organized the 1st Bau Truc Cham Pottery Festival in 2026 with many activities honoring cultural heritage, especially the Bau Truc pottery craft. The skillful hands of artisans, musical ensemble performances, traditional songs and dances, along with vibrant festive activities, created a festival rich in identity, contributing to awakening the local community tourism potential.

Honoring cultural heritage

Ninh Phuoc is a land rich in cultural traditions, where ethnic groups live together in solidarity and close bonding. Among them, Cham culture is a distinctive hue, preserved through spoken language, writing, customs, beliefs, festivals, and traditional crafts. The Bau Truc pottery craft is an enduring source of that memory and identity. Pottery is not just utensils made from clay; in each shape of vase, pot, and jar lie the hands, rhythm of life, faith, and soul of generations of Cham people. In 2022, the art of pottery-making of Cham people was inscribed by UNESCO on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. This is a source of pride for the Cham community, the people of Bau Truc, and the homeland of Ninh Phuoc. Along with Bau Truc pottery village, Ninh Phuoc also has My Nghiep brocade weaving village and many other unique cultural values...

The 1st Bau Truc Cham Pottery Festival in 2026 not only honored the Cham pottery craft in Bau Truc, but was also an occasion to introduce the cultural identity of the entire region. Within the framework of the festival, the Cham community of Bau Truc village held the Po Klaong Car Temple Opening Ceremony to commemorate and pay tribute to the merits of Lord Po Klong Can, the patron ancestor who taught the pottery craft. Alongside this was a diverse series of cultural, experiential, and tourism-promoting activities, such as: Exhibition and experiential activities on the heritage of Cham pottery-making art; brocade weaving experiences with artisans; local tourism tours using virtual reality (VR) technology; and the program “One Day as a Bau Truc Pottery Artisan” for tourists, residents, and students. The festivities were made even more lively with competitions in painting and Cham calligraphy, along with folk games such as tug-of-war, stick pushing, balancing water jars on the head, and blindfolded pot breaking... Tourists were delighted to visit the pottery village and watch artisans directly make pottery without a potter's wheel, a craft handed down over thousands of years. 

In particular, the cultural identity of the Cham people in Ninh Phuoc was conveyed through the language of art in the program “The Soul of Bau Truc Pottery”. Cham instrumental ensembles, Ponai folk songs, musical pieces such as “Tower Drops”, “Terracotta”, “Love for the Pottery Village”, “Kate Festival Drumbeats”, and dance performances like “The Soul of Bau Truc Pottery” and “Colors of My Nghiep Brocade”... evoked the very soul of the entire land. The performance "The Flame of Bau Truc", accompanied by the vibrant rhythms of Ghinang and Paranung drums, invited locals and tourists alike to join in the spirit of the festival. 

According to Mr. Quang Thuc Doan - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ninh Phuoc Commune, and Head of the Festival Organizing Committee, through the festival, the locality not only introduces distinctive pottery products but also seeks to tell the story of the craft, the potters, and a community that has persevered through ups and downs to preserve its identity. Through the festival, the locality hopes that the younger generation will gain a deeper understanding, love, and pride in their homeland's traditional craft, consciously continuing the values handed down by their ancestors.

That hope is also a shared concern among craftspeople. The festival offers an opportunity for the younger generation to directly see, practice, and understand their ancestors' craft. “Pottery making has been passed down through generations of Cham women in Bau Truc. From childhood, the children in the village watched their grandmothers and mothers make pottery, gradually learning how to select and prepare clay, shape, decorate, and fire products. What I hope is that our descendants continue to learn the craft, understand its values, and preserve the skills handed down by preceding generations,” shared artisan Chau Thi Nghiep.

Towards promoting heritage values in tourism

The festival's activities have enabled residents and tourists to engage more closely with the heritage, while opening up opportunities for artisans, cooperatives, and production establishments to introduce products, connect with markets, and develop tourism. For the people of Bau Truc, the festival is also an occasion to meet customers and tell the story behind each product. “We are very proud of the cultural traditions of the Cham people and the pottery craft in Bau Truc. It is truly meaningful to introduce the cultural features of our people to tourists,” shared artisan Dang Thi Minh Trong.

The unique cultural space of Ninh Phuoc also left an impression on visitors from afar. Coming from Nghe An, calligrapher Ngo Thanh Hai expressed surprise and delight upon attending the festival. “There are many unique cultural facets here, not only the pottery craft but also brocade weaving and community cultural life. Traditional music, dances... along with the towers create a distinctive cultural region; if effectively harnessed, it will bring tremendous value to tourism,” Mr. Hai shared.

To effectively tap into that potential, Associate Professor, Dr. Phan Quoc Anh - former Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ninh Thuan Province (former) - believed that Bau Truc pottery craft should be preserved under a "living museum" model. He also proposed connecting Bau Truc pottery village with My Nghiep brocade weaving village, while linking Ninh Phuoc with Phuoc Huu... to form a tourism ecosystem, as tourism is not confined by administrative boundaries. According to him, developing community-based tourism associated with cultural heritage should not merely chase visitor numbers; what needs to be done is to enhance the experiential value, extend the length of stay, and increase income for artisans and the community.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Bui Minh Thang - Director of Phuong Thang Trading and Tourism Co., Ltd. - stated that Ninh Phuoc commune possesses very rich cultural heritage capital. However, to promote the value of heritage in tourism activities, the locality needs to take a more systematic approach, from product development and promotion to connecting with travel businesses for effective exploitation.

XUAN THANH