Opportunities for tourism development in the ancient pottery village of Yang Tao

08:55, 11/12/2023

In fact, the ancient ceramic products of Yang Tao are currently of little practical use and low economic value, while artisans have to spend a lot of effort to create a complete product. Therefore, the locality has determined that the consumption of ceramic products is not to serve daily life but to consider this as a tourist product in order to preserve and promote the value of this craft village.

Recently, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism implemented the Project "Preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development" (referred to as Project 6) under the National Target Program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, period 2021 - 2030 in Dong Bak village (Yang Tao commune, Lak district), opening up development opportunities for tourism in the ancient pottery craft village of Yang Tao.

"Pass on" the profession

Currently, the ancient pottery village of Yang Tao has only about 5-6 artisans preserving the traditional craft of the M'nong R'lam people. Therefore, to preserve ancient pottery associated with tourism, it is necessary to "revive" this traditional craft village. Over the past two weeks, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has organized a pottery making class with the aim of "passing on the torch" to the next generation to preserve and promote the traditional craft. The class has attracted more than 20 students who are local housewives and in difficult circumstances. They are of different ages but all share the same goal of preserving the traditional culture of their people.

Students practice making ancient Yang Tao pottery (Lak district).

Previously, Ms. H'Út Kmăn's family (born in 1992, Dong Bak village) used to make a living by making traditional ancient pottery. Over time, ancient pottery was no longer popular, so her grandparents and parents gave up the profession. Therefore, the way to make ancient pottery for H'Út only existed in her childhood memories and had never been practiced. Hearing that the class was being held, H'Út eagerly signed up to participate. She expressed that at first, when she joined the class, listening to the artisans' theoretical instructions, she thought it was simple, but when she started doing it, she found it very difficult. From the stage of choosing clay to make pottery to the step of pounding the clay, everything had to be meticulous, thorough, flexible and all had to be done correctly. Despite the difficulties, every morning, she arranged her housework and came to class as early as possible to practice. Because according to her, learning to make ancient pottery proficiently was not only to have a profession but also to continue the traditional "fire of the profession" of her people.

As one of the few people who were taught pottery by their grandparents since childhood, when attending the class, Ms. H'Thuyen Uong (born in 1976, Dong Bak village) had a basic understanding of pottery making. However, due to a long period of lack of practice, the products she made were not as beautiful as those of the artisans. Therefore, when she was able to attend the pottery class, she was very happy because she had the opportunity to become a "successor" of the ancient pottery village. She confided: "Before, I learned from my parents how to make simple pottery products for family use such as rice cookers, soup bowls, etc. After attending the class and being enthusiastically taught by the artisans, I was confident in making more beautiful and "soulful" handicraft products. I will try to practice more to become a good pottery artisan in order to pass on the traditional craft of my people to my descendants in the future."

Attaching ancient pottery to tourism

According to Mr. Tran Quang Nam, Deputy Director of Dak Lak Museum, Project 6 is considered one of the effective solutions to help preserve and promote the unique and special traditional cultural values of local people. This is an opportunity for the pottery craft of the M'nong R'lam people in Yang Tao to develop. From the craft training class, it will help the locality effectively carry out propaganda and education work for the younger generation to raise awareness of preserving, conserving and promoting the traditional handicraft of their people. In addition, it will contribute to the development of traditional crafts associated with tourism, gradually improving quality, efficiency and competitiveness. In particular, it will help improve and increase income, create jobs for people, and contribute to sustainable poverty reduction.

Tourists experience making ancient Yang Tao pottery.

However, linking ancient pottery with tourism is not an overnight story but requires a long-term strategy. In fact, once the pottery village has been revived, it is also important to attract more tourists to visit. Therefore, Mr. Y Tho Mlo, Vice Chairman of Yang Tao Commune People's Committee, said that in order to effectively implement Project 6, it is necessary to have the participation of relevant departments and branches in coordination with local authorities to improve the capacity to organize and manage production. The first step is to promote ceramic products by approaching the market, designing labels, building brands, creating conditions for participation in trade programs, etc. From there, building people's confidence that the development of ancient pottery in the future will bring economic benefits, creating stable jobs for them to continue to keep the "fire of the profession". What should we do to make sure that when tourists come to Lak district, they not only come here for the poetic natural beauty, canoeing, enjoying local cuisine and products... but also because they want to explore and experience the unique ancient pottery craft in the Central Highlands?

Khanh Huyen

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