On 22/12/2023, the People’s Committee of Biên Hòa City, in coordination with the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and the Institute of Economic and Tourism Development, organized a scientific seminar on the preservation and development of Biên Hòa – Đồng Nai pottery, coupled with exploring and advancing tourism within the Biên Hòa City area.
The seminar, attended by provincial leaders, scholars, researchers, and cultural managers, delved into various aspects such as the historical evolution of Biên Hòa pottery, its distinctive values, economic aspects intertwined with cultural sustainability, and strategies for tourism development linked to the pottery industry.
According to Deputy Chairman Nguyễn Sơn Hùng of the Provincial People’s Committee, all government parties want to revive the Biên Hòa – Đồng Nai pottery industry, aligning it with tourism development. Deputy Chairman Nguyễn Sơn Hùng highly appreciates the 24 scientific papers submitted by scholars for the seminar, considering them valuable resources and insightful contributions for both Biên Hòa City and the entire Đồng Nai province.
The seminar receives various suggestions on how to protect and develop the Biên Hòa pottery brands, turning the pottery history and cultures into tourism products, and who should be its target customers. Highlighted ideas include building a special pottery museum, growing pottery as part of culture-related industries, recognizing Biên Hòa pottery as a cultural heritage, and launching a marketing campaign focusing on the pottery brands.
The 300-years history of Bien Hoa – Dong Nai pottery cultures
Nestled by the beautiful Đồng Nai River, Biên Hòa’s pottery village is a living example of ancient skills passed down through generations. This place has been famous for its top-quality pottery since the late 1800s and is still highly valued by collectors worldwide. It’s a must-visit spot for anyone who loves pottery.
This village has two main pottery areas—Tân Vạn and the Trường Mỹ Thuật Thực Hành Biên Hòa—and they’ve inspired other well-known pottery villages nearby. There are lots of pottery workshops here, big and small, run by both private businesses and the government. This makes the village a popular place for tourists.
The pottery from Biên Hòa comes in lots of different styles because each artist has their own way of doing things and they’re influenced by different cultures. You’ll see a mix of Northern Vietnamese, Chinese, and Cham influences in the designs. People love Biên Hòa pottery because it combines different styles in a unique way.
In the past, Biên Hòa pottery was so renowned that there was even a pottery vocational school in Đông Dương established in 1903. It could be said that this period marked the pinnacle of prosperity for this pottery village, with significant recognition in international markets such as Japan, France, and others. It was a blend of Vietnamese pottery techniques with Chinese and Limoges pottery styles from France.
With such rich cultural and artistic history, blending pottery village with tourism is bound to make a visit to Bien Hoa an amazing experience.
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