All you need to know about Bat Trang Village of Hanoi

With its address in Gia Lam prefecture, Hanoi, Bat Trang Village is one must-visit of the city. What do you need to know about this Hanoi Ceramic Village, let’s read and find out!

History of Bat Trang Pottery Village - What does “Bat Trang” mean?

Why was Hanoi Ceramic Village named “Bat Trang”?

Despite its popular ceramic craft, the origin of the name “Bat Trang” has nothing to do with pottery at all. “Bat” in “Bat Trang” means “the origin” or “wealth” and “Trang” in “Bat Trang” means “a great space”. So the word “Bat Trang” means people gathering at a great space to do what their ancestors have done for thousands of years and gain wealth from it. Incidentally, that’s also an introduction of what Bat Trang village is today, a beautiful space of wealth and long-lived tradition. 

How Bat Trang Village becomes the most popular ceramic village in Hanoi

The history of Bat Trang Pottery Village was dated back to the 14th century. Under the Ly Dynasty, the Vietnamese capital moved from Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh to Thang Long (Hanoi today). This brings the most famous potters of the country to the new capital. Here, they gathered in a land with a lot of white clay and established a traditional handicraft village, now known as Bat Trang Pottery Village. 

Since then, Bat Trang’s ceramics become known as the best craft in the country. Today, Bat Trang ceramic product is loved not only in Vietnam but also in the world. Bat Trang ceramic village, since, has become a popular address for a cultural tour, where visitors can shop and learn about Vietnamese pottery. 

Top 4 things to do while at Hanoi Ceramic Village

1. Look for the best Vietnamese souvenirs to take home

If you’re on a Bat Trang tour, stopping at Bat Trang ceramic market to buy souvenirs is a must. What to buy, though, can be confusing, so here are some of our suggestions:

Incredibly creative products made from ceramics 

Although Bat Trang village has existed for thousands of years, its products are not all old and traditional. While shopping in the market, look for unique items that make wonderful small gifts for friends and family.

Things such as ceramic jewelry or ceramic Vietnamese coffee maker are perfect choices to bring home because they are such signature handicrafts of Vietnamese culture, they are small enough to fit in your suitcase, and these special things cannot be found anywhere else in the world! 

Vietnamese traditional ceramic products

However, if your idea of souvenirs is more traditional, you can also opt for ceramic products that are more in touch with the Vietnamese theme. Such as:

Vietnamese blue ceramic

Blue ceramic is normal ceramic is mixed with a chemical called Cobalt Oxide to create the signature cobalt blue color. It is used most popularly to paint designs on white ceramics. Such beautiful tea sets or vases painted with scenery or dragons theme can be seen in almost any Vietnamese household. This type of ceramic is also a specialty of Bat Trang ceramic, so you can be assured about the quality if you buy it here. 

Unpolished clay products

One of the most simple forms of ceramic - unpolished clay or đất nung can also be a very interesting souvenir. Because of its affordability, clay products are widely used in Vietnam, and their image is closely associated with the Vietnamese countryside. Therefore, bringing a clay decoration home is a good reminder of your time in Vietnam!

Explore: Things to buy in Hanoi, Vietnam 2021 - Journey On Air

2. Try your hands at Bat Trang pottery making

In recent years, a tourist attraction that’s becoming more and more popular at Bat Trang Village is pottery workshops. Hosting from two to a dozen participants, these workshops only costs you 30,000 - 40,000 VND/person to walk you through steps to craft a complete ceramic product. They even bake and allow you to take your product home once it’s finished. It’s a wonderful introduction to pottery making (for both kids and adults), it doesn’t take a half-day to do, and there’s nothing more satisfying than bringing home something you’ve made yourself! 

3. Enjoy Bat Trang village’s food

Besides its craft, people also do Bat Trang village tour to enjoy its fresh air and good food. Down here is everything you need to try while at Bat Trang.

Read more: Hanoi Street Food Tours - 23 Must-try Food in Hanoi

What to eat at Bat Trang Village

• Sweet potatoes cake, smashed sweet potatoes slow-roasted on charcoal, topped with coconut.
• Bánh tẻ, steamed rice cake with meat fillings, wrapped in banana leaves. Rice cakes in Bat Trang are selected from the best makers of the North, therefore, it has a very distinct authentic flavor.
• The Bat Trang Banquet, a sophisticated banquet of Vietnamese traditional cuisine, with Bat Trang’s specialty dishes such as pigeon spring roll or stir-fried dried octopus.  

4. Visiting ancient houses - the teller of Bat Trang Village’s history

Buying ceramics products is not the only interesting thing to do at Bat Trang Village. How about trying to visit this place’s ancient houses. Bat Trang Village is one of the only places in Hanoi where ancient architecture and a rural atmosphere can still be found, such appreciation results in the renovation of many ancient houses here. 

Stepping into these century-old heritages, you will be taken back in time, from the house’s gate to doors, and bricks, everything is a beautiful replicate of history. Uniquely, these houses also tell stories of Bat Trang Village as a traditional handicraft village, with hundred-year-old ceramics making tools and products on display. All of these make Bat Trang’s ancient houses a wonderful stop when visiting Bat Trang Village, so don’t miss it when you come here! 

How to get to Bat Trang Village from Hanoi 

Now, to help you have a safe trip to Hanoi ceramics village, here are 2 ways to get to Bat Trang from Hanoi center. 

Get to Bat Trang from Hanoi by bus

• Instruction: Bus number 47A’s final stop is Bat Trang village, making it the quickest way to reach this destination. This bus starts at Long Bien station and stops by Yen Phu street, nearby West Lake so it is ideal if your address is around here. 
• Prices: 8,000 VND/ticket
• Inconvenience: If you’re living in areas far from the buses’ stop, you might have to take other buses or drive to the shop near you.  

Driving from Hanoi to Bat Trang Village

• Instruction: From Hanoi center, you can drive to Bat Trang going through one of the four bridges that connect Gia Lam prefecture to Hanoi center: Long Bien bridge (not for cars), Chuong Duong bridge, Vinh Tuy bridge, and Thanh Tri bridge. After reaching the end of these bridges, you can go along TL 195 road to reach a sign pointing you to Bat Trang village. 

Finally, don’t pass by a chance to spend a half-day at Bat Trang Village when you’re in Hanoi. Hopefully, this article can be a wonderful guide to your upcoming Bat Trang trip.