(VOVworld) A 10-minute drive takes visitors from the city of Nha Trang to Lu Cam, a 300-year-old village famous for its pottery.

“Lu Cam” means pottery kiln. Village elder Tran Van Binh talked to us about his village’s traditional craft:"According to historical records, this craft was brought from the north to our village by disciples of the founder of the pottery craft Dao Lu Nghe. Villagers used to make pottery products from the first to the eighth lunar month, earning a very good living, and then relaxed for the rest of the year." 

Villagers built a shrine dedicated to Dao Lu Nghe whom they worship as their village Genie. Lu Cam villagers produce a wide range of ceramic products popular with customers across the country. Doctor Nguyen Khac Su of the Vietnam Archaeology Institute: "Ceramic products from Lu Cam village are widely recognized among collectors for their high quality, from household utensils to ceremonial items. The craftsmen of Lu Cam village are very skilled and possess special pottery-making techniques passed down from their ancestors."

As many households in Lu Cam village have shifted to other trades because of diminishing demand for pottery products, the village’s traditional craft is now on the verge of extinction. The most popular ceramic products still being produced in Lu Cam are baked-clay stoves. Many steps are involved in producing a simple stove. Clay is mixed with water and divided. An outer stove cover is fashioned from galvanized zinc sheets to prevent the clay from sticking to the mould. After completing the mould, artisans shape the stove and attach the handles and other parts. Next the stoves are dried in the sun for 24 to 48 hours and then baked an oven. After waiting for the stove to cool down, the artisan attaches a metal grid and the stove is ready for the market. Villager Nguyen Van Hung is one of the few people in Lu Cam still involved in the pottery trade: "I will never give up this job as it’s our traditional craft. It’s also my father’s wish that I preserve and maintain this craft. We don’t earn a good living from pottery today although it’s a very hard job. Yet, I love this job and I’ll do anything I can to preserve it."

When Tet arrives, the village’s streets are full of stoves drying in the sun before they are put in a big charcoal oven to bake. The village is included in many tours offered by Vinatour Travel Company and is a highly recommended tourist destination.