Vietnam’s ceramics festival winners to ‘converge’ in Binh Duong

The first ceramics festival in Vietnam will take place in the southern province of Binh Duong from September 2-8.
The festival will introduce Vietnam’s most special ceramic products and winners in the following categories: the biggest, the best gilded, most difficult to shape, the most beautiful pattern, and the most unique sacred object.
The most special item will be a three-piece set from Minh Long Ceramic Company 1: Van Lang gem bowl, Vietnamese soul cup, and golden lotus cup. Dozens of craftsmen created these items over five years.
Another notable product is the Quoc Binh Thang Long bronze drum, which was made within two years by craftsmen from Cuong Phat Company. This company will also showcase unique ceramic products created through a new burning technique.
Some ceramic items that hold historical meaning will be introduced, like the Heaven and Earth jar and Ancient Thang Long, respectively produced by Trung Thanh and Minh Cuong ceramic companies.
Producers said that these are special products that mark great progress for the ceramics industry, so there will not be fixed prices.
By August 26, 19 craft villages and 50 ceramic companies registered to join the festival. The organizing board has registered ten products as establishing Vietnamese records in various categories.
Binh Duong Ceramics Association chairman Ly Ngoc Minh said that in preparation for the first Vietnam ceramics festival, firms have tried to make unique products to show the vitality of this traditional trade.
Minh said that the ceramic trade is facing a slowdown not only in Vietnam, but in many countries. Recently famous ceramic brands like Royal Doulton and Westwood (UK), Rosenthal (Germany), and Thun (Czech Republic) have gone bankrupt. Many ceramic factories in Japan and China have closed.
He said that the number of ceramic firms in Binh Duong has fallen from 500 to 120, but only 70 of them are still operating. “However, it is miraculous that 20-30 companies account for 70-80 percent of the country’s total ceramic export revenue,” he added.