During the summer of 2026, the Bau Truc Cham pottery village in Ninh Phuoc Commune, Khanh Hoa Province, has continuously welcomed large numbers of tourists visiting to experience handmade pottery making and explore the distinctive Cham cultural space.
The Bau Truc Cham pottery village in Ninh Phuoc Commune, Khanh Hoa Province, has become busier than ever. From early morning, streams of tourist buses continuously arrive at the craft village. The experiential courtyard is crowded with visitors, while the sounds of the Paranung drum and Saranai horn echo vibrantly through the space rich in Cham cultural identity.
Product display stalls are constantly filled with visitors sightseeing and shopping. The lively atmosphere stretches from the pottery-making area and cultural performance yard to the outdoor firing area. What fascinates many visitors is that Cham pottery making does not use a potter’s wheel. Artisans shape the clay entirely by hand while walking backward around the pottery piece to form the product. Tourists attentively watch and record the artisans’ smooth and skillful movements on their phones. After receiving instructions, many visitors enthusiastically try the ancient craft of the Cham people themselves.
Alongside the shaping area, displays of Cham pottery products attract particular interest from visitors. At the Bau Truc Cham pottery exhibition area, covered in the distinctive reddish-brown color of manually fired pottery, thousands of products are arranged along the pathways, creating a space deeply imbued with Cham culture.
According to the artisans, the open-air firing technique gives each product its own distinctive color. Because every item is made entirely by hand, no two products are identical. Each vase, jar, or ceramic statue is unique.
In addition, visitors can immerse themselves in Cham cultural activities through traditional dance performances, folk music presentations, and exchanges with local artisans. The sounds of drums and music, together with graceful dances, make the craft village even more vibrant during the summer tourism season.
Director Phu Huu Minh Thuan of the Bau Truc Cham Pottery Cooperative said visitor numbers have increased sharply this year. Currently, the craft village receives an average of between 1,500 and 2,000 visitors per day. To serve tourists, the cooperative has expanded a range of Cham cultural experiences, including Cham musical instrument performances, introductions to Cham cultural history, pottery-making instruction sessions, and exchange programs with artisans.
Amid the pace of modern life, the Bau Truc Cham pottery village has preserved traditional values passed down through many generations, offering visitors a unique cultural experience.
At the end of 2022, the “Art of Pottery Making of the Cham People” was inscribed by UNESCO on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. The international recognition has helped elevate the Bau Truc Cham pottery brand and opened opportunities for the ancient craft village to continue preserving the craft, passing it on to future generations, and developing sustainable community-based tourism.
