Continuing to implement the National Action Program to safeguard the Art of pottery-making of Cham people

Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee has just issued a document requesting departments, sectors, and localities to continue implementing the National Action Program on the Art of pottery-making of Cham people.

Accordingly, the Provincial People's Committee requested agencies, units, and localities to continue reviewing and implementing assigned tasks under the Project on “Management, safeguarding and promotion of the values of the intangible cultural heritage of the Art of pottery-making of Cham people” for the period 2025 - 2028 and subsequent years. At the same time, units are to continue implementing tasks under Plan No. 9379 dated July 23, 2026 of the Provincial People's Committee on the implementation of the National Action Program to safeguard and promote the values of the intangible cultural heritage “Art of pottery-making of Cham people” and the Project on the management, safeguarding and promotion of the values of the intangible cultural heritage “Art of pottery-making of Cham people” for the period 2025 - 2028 and subsequent years.

The Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to act as the focal agency to monitor, urge, and guide the implementation of the National Action Program on the Art of pottery-making of Cham people, and to compile monthly reports to the Provincial People's Committee. The People's Committee of Ninh Phuoc Commune shall proactively coordinate with departments and sectors to review and address issues regarding land, raw material sources, the environment, infrastructure, and necessary conditions to stably maintain and develop the Bau Truc pottery craft village.

At the same time, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Finance to take the lead and coordinate with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the People's Committee of Ninh Phuoc Commune, and relevant units to advise on allocating funding for key tasks regarding transmission and teaching, raw material area planning, practice spaces, the environment, documentation, promotion, and community tourism development; and submit it to the Provincial People's Committee no later than October 30, 2026.

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. Implementing the directives of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province has implemented the National Action Program to safeguard and promote the values of the “Art of pottery-making of Cham people”. From 2023 to the present, implementation has focused on key task groups: maintaining craft practice and transmission; promoting the role of artisans and practitioners; ensuring raw material sources and practicing conditions; developing products; promoting the heritage; linking preservation with tourism and community livelihoods; and conducting research and documentation.

In particular, in late 2025, the Provincial People's Committee approved the Project on "Management, protection, and promotion of the values of the intangible cultural heritage 'Art of pottery making of Chăm people'" for the 2025 - 2028 period and subsequent years, with a total implementation budget of over 205 billion VND. The objective of the project is to remove the intangible cultural heritage "Art of pottery making of Chăm people" from the list of those in need of urgent safeguarding; formulate product quality standards and register the "Chăm Pottery" trademark for Bau Truc Cham pottery products; complete the planning to protect the cultural space of Bau Truc pottery village and the planning of a community-based tourism development model for the Bau Truc pottery craft village; and advance toward inscribing the "Art of pottery making of Chăm people" as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

According to a report from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, from 2022 to 2025, implementing the direction of the Provincial People's Committee, the department coordinated with Ninh Phuoc commune to organize 5 pottery craft transmission classes in Bau Truc village with more than 150 learners. Both sides also organized a pottery craft skills contest with the participation of 30 artisans. The nomination dossiers for the titles of "People's Artisan" and "Meritorious Artisan" for 7 artisans from Bau Truc pottery village were approved by the ministerial-level specialized council and are currently being submitted to the State-level Council. In 2026, Ninh Phuoc commune established a Heritage Practice Club in Bau Truc hamlet with 12 members and organized the 1st Bau Truc Cham Pottery Festival. The province is implementing the 2026 Chăm Pottery Product Design Contest. However, several items such as planning raw material zones, firing areas, craft village infrastructure, and the scientific dossier for Po Klong Can Temple still require further completion.

XUAN THANH