Present in Bat Trang in the last days of 2024, the production and business atmosphere at the ceramic workshops as well as at the Bat Trang ceramic market was bustling, with trucks continuously carrying goods in and out.
According to Pham Huy Khoi, Chairman of the People's Committee (PC) of Bat Trang Commune, Bat Trang Commune has two villages — Bat Trang and Giang Cao — both of which make ceramics. Bat Trang commune currently has more than 100 artisans, nearly 200 enterprises, and about 1,000 households producing and trading ceramics. These establishments create jobs for tens of thousands of workers, contributing to promoting socio-economic development in the area.
However, in the face of fierce competition from imported goods, right at home, ceramic enterprises in Bat Trang must always strive to innovate products to adapt and conquer the market.
As someone who has been involved in the ceramic profession for many years, Nguyen Viet Toan, from Tam Linh Van Thanh An ceramic enterprise, shared: “Currently, there are many foreign ceramic products on the market from household items, fine art items to spiritual items. If we compare prices, Bat Trang ceramics are immediately “losing”. Because the foreign goods have support in terms of technological lines, their prices are always cheaper than ours. To be able to develop sustainably, for us, creativity is the most important. Creativity includes creativity in design, model, and glaze colour. These factors help us compete with imported goods while still maintaining the unique features of Bat Trang.”
Among many different product lines, Van Thanh An focuses its resources on ceramic products serving spirituality. With many designs based on the foundation of traditional incense bowls and ceramic vases and supplemented with new creations, Van Thanh An and Bat Trang ceramic enterprises still almost dominate the spiritual ceramic market.
Toan shared more about his creativity in creating glaze colours. For example, there are fire-changing glaze products, created by him, which are "unique" products, sold at high prices. Or the unique combination of glaze colours is also a unique feature of the Van Thanh An ceramic brand.
Bao Khanh Ceramic Enterprise is also one of the enterprises with many outstanding creations of Bat Trang ceramics. Recently, artisan Nguyen Manh Hoa won Second Prize in the Hanoi Handicraft Product Design Contest 2024, with the product "Brocade ceramic jar".
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Thanks to continuous innovation, Bat Trang ceramics have a solid position in the market. |
His works, which are both new and imbued with the national cultural colours, are highly appreciated by many experts and customers.
Nguyen Manh Hoa shared: “As someone who has been involved in the pottery profession for decades, I have created many different ceramic products. However, when researching, I realised that there is nothing better than exploiting the cultural values of the Vietnamese people and other ethnic groups in Vietnam. That will create its own characteristics and help conquer the market.”
In addition to the brocade jar product, Hoa also has many other product designs created using the above method, which is to "renew" the use of traditional features of Vietnamese culture in products.
In order for the ceramic industry to develop and gain a foothold in the market, in addition to the efforts of craft villages and the dedication of artisans, the support of the government in creating product designs plays a very important role.
In order to encourage organisations and individuals in the city to actively create handicraft products with new, impressive and unique designs, contributing to diversifying product designs, especially products as gifts for tourists, every year, the Hanoi People's Committee assigns the Department of Industry and Trade to preside over the organisation of the Centre for Industrial Promotion and Industrial Development Consulting to implement the Hanoi Handicraft Product Design Contest.
The contest also aims to improve the competitiveness of handicraft products in general, including the ceramic industry. From there, it creates opportunities for businesses and handicraft production establishments in the city to restructure their industries and products, promoting the sustainable development of the capital's handicraft industry.
Bat Trang artisans are all excited to participate in the competition and many artisans have won high prizes. Thereby, creating new designs to conquer the market.
In addition, to increase competitiveness, Bat Trang enterprises all apply information technology in product promotion. Pham Huy Khoi, Chairman of Bat Trang Commune People's Committee, said that currently about 50% of households know how to promote products on e-commerce platforms and social networks. Many people also livestream on their personal Facebook pages.
The application of technology in sales by people makes purchasing easier than traditional sales methods. With innovations in production, promotion, and consumption, Bat Trang ceramics are still developing steadily in the digital age.
