Things to See & Do in Thanh Ha Terracotta Park

Thanh Ha Terracotta Park was built from 17th November 2011 to 30th April 2015, and opened to visitors in June 2016. Its total area is up to 6,000m2 and its total construction cost is 20 billion dongs. In the opening ceremony, three generations of local pottery makers together brought the fire from the oldest workshop to the park. After that, the oldest maker, whose age is over 80, created the first pottery object here. Meanwhile, the choir from Wernigerode city of Germany, the sister city of Hoi An, also performed to celebrate this event.

This terracotta park was designed and invested by Nguyen Van Nguyen architect (man) who was borned and grew up in Thanh Ha Pottery Village. At age of 18, he moved to Ho Chi Minh city to study in the University of Architecture here. After being reputable and then founding a private company, he returned to the village and gave back to it by the terracotta park project. This man is definitely a pride of the local community.

Thanh Ha Terracotta Park consists of 8 zones, with two major buildings surrounded by an extensive garden, and interconnected. Before seeing them, don’t forget to have a look at the miniature of wonders of the world and famous places all over the world. There are Eiffel tower in France, Statue of liberty in USA, Big Ben tower in UK, Sydney opera house in Australia, Taj Mahal in India, the Great Wall of China, Colosseum amphitheatre in Italy, the Meridian Gate in Hue Vietnam, the One-Pillar pagoda in Hanoi Vietnam,…

Two major buildings of Thanh Ha Terracotta Park portray two different types of pottery kiln in the village: ‘opening’ and ‘closing’ kilns. On the right hand side, there is the ‘opening kiln’ which has three levels. The first level is used to exhibit paintings and clay sculptures from Vietnamese artists. On the second level, visitors have the chance to learn about traditional pottery villages across Vietnam, and their long-standing pottery making. Information about their history and typical style are introduced with detail. In the northern region, Huong Canh Pottery Village is the representative, and Phuoc Tich Pottery Village represents the central region. Down the south, the pottery village of M’nong and Cham people, are most featured. Especially, the art of pottery making of the Chams was recognized by Unesco to be world’s intangible cultural heritage in 2022. On the highest level, the exhibition of pottery making of Sa Huynh and Champa cultures provides insight into the disappearance.

In the building to the left, the ‘closing kiln’ has a pottery market with a variety of clay souvenirs to see and shop, a coffee shop where visitors can have a break and enjoy a cup of Vietnamese coffee, and an exhibition about the heritage of pottery making at Thanh Ha Village where the terracotta park stands. History, manual tools, and all stages to make pottery are lively, allowing visitors to have a deeper understanding about the village and its craft. This tradition began in the 16th century, and on the 10th day of the 7th lunar month yearly, local artisans pay homage to ‘pottery ancestors’. In 2022, it’s recognized to be a national intangible cultural heritage.

Behind the main buildings, there is an open-air workshop where visitors can learn how to make pottery objects from locals. This activity is loved by kids. The price is 30,000 VND/person (not an inclusion of Thanh Ha Terracotta Park ticket price).