Tracing the kilns of Dong Trieu
Brick kilns in a row under a tin roof, potters in conical hats stacking blue-glazed pots: a morning wandering through the Dong Trieu pottery village.
The old kilns still keep the beauty of earlier times. Standing among them, it is easy to picture how busy this place once was, and how people built every space and tool around the craft.
A row of kilns under a tin roof
Built from firebrick with arched mouths, the kilns stand side by side in a long row. In front of them, stacks of blue-glazed pots and vases wait for the next firing.
The potters' rhythm
Loading a kiln takes experience: large pieces at the bottom, small ones on top, gaps left so flame and heat move evenly. One badly loaded batch can ruin the whole kiln.
From wood to gas
Kilns used to burn wood or coal, with potters tending the fire through the night. Many workshops now use gas for more precise control, yet the old kilns remain as part of the village's memory.
What stays with you
Leaving Dong Trieu, what lingers is not the blue pots but the patience of the people who keep the craft's fire burning every day.