Phu Lang Pottery Village

Phu Lang Pottery Village is a traditional ceramics village in Phu Lang Commune, Que Vo District, Bac Ninh Province, on the south bank of the Cau River about 60 km northeast of Hanoi. Dating to the Tran Dynasty in the 14th century, it is one of northern Vietnam's three renowned pottery centers. It is notable for reddish-brown glazed wares made from local Cau River clay and fired in traditional wood-fired kilns, with preserved old kilns, workshops and communal architecture.

Visitors can expect a riverside craft village with narrow lanes lined with family-run pottery workshops, open drying yards filled with unfired pots, jars and tiles, and distinctive beehive-shaped wood-fired kilns. Workshops display clay preparation, wheel throwing, glazing and firing processes. The village retains traditional houses, the Phu Lang communal house and small temples, with the Cau River and clay pits on the outskirts. Visitors can observe artisans at work, browse showrooms and try hands-on pottery making.

Phu Lang pottery tradition dates to the Tran Dynasty in the 14th century, attributed to founder Luu Phong Tu who learned ceramic techniques and established kilns along the Cau River. The village developed as a major ceramics center supplying jars, vases, tiles and household wares to the Red River Delta, with techniques passed down through generations and preserved wood-fired kiln technology.

Phu Lang is one of northern Vietnam's three famous traditional pottery villages alongside Bat Trang and Chu Dau, representing Bac Ninh's craft heritage. Its distinctive glazes, forms and wood-firing methods reflect local cultural identity and folk craftsmanship. The village maintains communal houses, temples and festivals linked to the craft ancestor worship, and remains an active center for transmission of pottery skills.