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Shard
of its former self
by
Pham Thi Thu Thuy
For hundreds of
years the village of Tho Ha has remained detached from the world by a
boat ride. Today it’s a small, sleepy village like many others in the
country, but it was once an important centre of craft and trade.
During the Ly and
Tran dynasties in the 10th–15th centuries, Tho Ha was one of northern
Viet Nam’s three key pottery producers.
The distinction
came about as a result of a mission from the three provinces of Thanh
Hoa, Bac Ninh and Hung Yen sent to China to learn ceramic production
techniques.
Upon its return,
the mission’s participants chose an auspicious day to pray and pass
their new found skills on to their fellow countrymen. Bo Bat village is
now the famous Bat Trang village specialising in white ceramics; Tho Ha
was known for its red ceramics and Ke Sat or Phu Lang, for yellow and
dark coloured products.
Ke Sat and Tho Ha
are both next to the tranquil Cau River. They made everything from daily
utensils to larger one-off commissions. Their work soon became known
throughout the country due to their position near commercial centres and
the river, which provided transport to other regions.
Over time, Viet Nam developed and once thriving craft villages were
relegated to history. The furnaces of Tho Ha sank into a long sleep
while those in Bat Trang and Phu Lang managed to adapt to the new age to
meet modern customers’ demand.
Tho Ha turned away
from ceramics and towards the production of sweets and rice noodles for
local markets. The only signs today that the village once held other
skills are found in the walls of its ancient houses.
In its heyday,
villagers would use faulty ceramic products to build their houses and
laneways. Looking at the walls today, one cannot fail to get nostalgic
for the village’s glorious past.
The villagers have
adapted to the new quieter life but one of the highlights of their year
is the three-day spring festival starting on the 20th of the first lunar
month. The festival, which brings life back to the sleepy town, has
fortunately not been listed in any tourist guide nor faced a flood of
reporters hunting for traditional festivals for their next story.
Villagers postpone
their normal activities and clean their houses for the big occasion.
There are the usual processions to worship at the village’s 16th
century pagoda and communal house. But these old monuments have not been
restored, so they retain all their original values and structures.
Unlike other
spring festivals well advertised by the media, Tho Ha’s has been able
to retain the originality of an agrarian community. During the day,
locals play traditional games, act in plays and sing their favourite
folk songs. At night, they flock to the mound between the pagoda and the
communal house for a performance of traditional tuong opera.
Different
performing troupes put on shows, with many farmers transforming
themselves into actors and musicians. As amateurs, they sometime lack
appropriate costumes and make-up but that does not affect the festive
spirit. Surrounding the performance arena are numerous vendors selling
village delicacies at prices not seen in the cities.
Villagers forget
the hardships of their tough journeys throughout the year to make ends
meet, and sink into laughter and joy. Hopefully the festival will not
become known to the outside world, but in this fast paced and
commercialised society there are no guarantees. — VNS |
