Finding the right pottery manufacturers in Vietnam is a journey into a craft that is deeply woven into the nation’s cultural fabric and has become a major global export success. For centuries, Vietnamese artisans have honed their skills, transforming humble clay into stunning works of art and functional wares. Today, that rich heritage is combined with modern, large-scale production capabilities, making Vietnam a premier destination for international buyers seeking everything from massive outdoor garden planters to delicate, handcrafted tableware. This expert guide provides a curated review of the top 10 manufacturers to know in 2026. We will explore the key production hubs, analyze what makes each supplier unique, and offer the insights you need to source high-quality Vietnamese pottery with confidence.
Overview of the Pottery Industry in Vietnam
The pottery industry in Vietnam is an essential part of the country’s culture and economy. It has a rich history and a broad range of styles, reflecting vibrant local traditions. Manufacturers in this sector are known for their expertise and quality.
Vietnam’s ceramics and pottery industry exports a large volume of consumer goods, generating significant revenue. Exports exceed 400 million dollars annually. The country is home to prominent manufacturing clusters that focus on enhancing quality and lowering costs.
These clusters improve access to materials and encourage competition, making them popular with importers. This competitive landscape ensures that products meet high standards. The central regions are known for distinctive styles that add value to the industry.
Key Points:
- Dynamic Growth: The pottery sector is one of Vietnam’s most dynamic growth areas, with a focus on innovation and quality.
- Prominent Clusters: Manufacturing clusters make importing easier, helping to push for better prices and quality. They are crucial in strengthening Vietnam’s position in the global market.
- Diverse Product Range: From traditional designs to modern aesthetics, the industry caters to various tastes and markets.
Whether you’re interested in the intricate designs or the logistical advantages, Vietnam’s pottery industry offers a wealth of opportunities. Its reputation for quality and variety makes it a key player on the international stage.
The Two Hearts of Vietnamese Pottery: Bat Trang vs. Binh Duong
Before diving into specific manufacturers, it is crucial to understand the two major pottery and ceramics hubs in Vietnam. Each has a distinct identity, history, and product specialty.
Bat Trang (The Northern Artisan Hub)
Located just outside of Hanoi, Bat Trang is a centuries-old pottery village that is synonymous with high-quality, artisanal ceramics. It is famous for its “high-fire” techniques, resulting in durable, stoneware products.
-
Specialties: Tableware (bowls, plates), decorative vases, ceramic tea sets, home decor items, and custom-designed pieces.
-
Characteristics: Often features intricate, hand-painted details, historical motifs, and refined glazes. Bat Trang is the go-to region for indoor, high-value ceramic goods.
Binh Duong & Dong Nai (The Southern Powerhouse)
This region, located near Ho Chi Minh City, is the undisputed epicenter of Vietnam’s large-scale, export-focused pottery industry, especially for outdoor and garden products. The area’s abundant clay resources and vast factory complexes are built for high-volume production.
-
Specialties: Large outdoor planters, garden pots, oversized vases, fountains, and terracotta products.
-
Characteristics: Known for vibrant, durable glazes, frost resistance, and the ability to produce very large items. This is where most international garden centers and wholesalers source their inventory.
Top Pottery Products from Vietnam
Vietnam is renowned for its diverse pottery offerings. When exploring pottery products from Vietnam, you’ll find a wide array of high-quality items that appeal to many tastes and needs.
Kitchenware
Vietnamese pottery includes durable kitchenware like bowls, plates, and mugs. These pieces often showcase intricate designs and traditional craftsmanship. The combination of functionality and artistry makes them perfect for everyday use or special occasions.
Bathroom Essentials
For those looking to enhance their bathrooms, Vietnam offers a range of elegant bathroom essentials. These might include soap dishes, tooth brush holders, and elegant tissue boxes, all crafted with attention to detail, adding a touch of sophistication to your bathroom setup.
Decorative Items
Decorative pottery items from Vietnam can transform any living space. Popular products include vases, statues, and wall art. These items often feature unique patterns and colors, making them perfect for home decoration or as gifts.
Building Materials
Pottery is also used in Vietnamese building materials. You can find roof tiles, bricks, and pavers that combine traditional methods with modern design needs. These products are known for their strength and aesthetic appeal, suitable for both residential and commercial projects.
Technical Ceramics
In the realm of advanced manufacturing, Vietnam produces a range of technical ceramics. Industries use these ceramics for their high heat resistance and electrical insulating properties, which are essential for many modern technologies.
Each product reflects the expertise and creativity of Vietnamese pottery manufacturers, making them highly sought after across the globe.
Materials, Production Processes and Techniques
Vietnam is known for its rich ceramic and pottery traditions, combining age-old traditions with modern innovations. You will explore how artisans use both handcrafted methods and advanced manufacturing to create unique and high-quality pottery.
Clay and Sand Composition
Vietnamese pottery chiefly uses local clay and sand, which are rich in minerals, providing strong durability and fine texture. Regions like Bat Trang are known for their exceptional clay quality, which has made the village famous. Clay is often mixed with sand to enhance the strength and reduce shrinkage during firing. This mix helps create pieces that are both functional and beautiful. The ground materials are carefully processed to ensure consistency, removing impurities to maintain a smooth finish. This preparation is crucial, as it directly impacts the final product’s quality and robustness.
Traditional Handcrafting
Generations of Vietnamese artisans have passed down the art of traditional handcrafting. They start by preparing clay, mixing and aging local clays to achieve the perfect consistency. Artisans use their hands and simple tools to mould intricate shapes. These pieces are often inspired by Vietnamese culture, featuring intricate designs and patterns.
The firing process is crucial. Wood-fired kilns are common, imbuing each piece with unique finishes and textures. Each item is glazed and decorated with natural pigments, creating vibrant colors. This method ensures that every piece of pottery is unique and reflects the artisan’s skill and creativity.
Modern Manufacturing Techniques
Modern manufacturing in Vietnam incorporates advanced technology while maintaining quality. Factories like Long Truong Ceramics use high-tech machinery for consistent and efficient production. Powder coating pottery is a significant innovation, providing a durable and smooth finish, preferred for international markets.
The process involves automated moulding and glazing machines, ensuring precision and uniformity. Additionally, artisans employ eco-friendly practices by using sustainable materials and reducing waste. They strictly follow quality control measures to meet global standards, making Vietnamese pottery highly competitive worldwide.
A Journey Through Vietnam’s 10+ Famous Pottery Villages
This list travels from North to South, exploring the most significant hubs of ceramic and pottery production in Vietnam.
1. Bat Trang Village (Hanoi)
-
Characteristics: Without a doubt the most famous and commercially successful pottery village in Vietnam. Located just outside Hanoi, Bat Trang has a history spanning over 700 years. It is a bustling hub of thousands of household factories and large-scale enterprises.
-
Key Products: An incredibly diverse range, but it excels in high-fire stoneware and porcelain. This includes fine tableware (plates, bowls, tea sets), decorative vases, home decor, and custom ceramic tiles.
-
For the International Buyer: Bat Trang is the most accessible and export-ready village. The manufacturers here are experienced in working with international clients, understand quality control, and can handle everything from small, custom orders to large container shipments. It is the premier sourcing destination for high-quality indoor and decorative ceramics.
2. Phu Lang Village (Bac Ninh)
-
Characteristics: Known for its rustic, unrefined beauty. The artisans of Phu Lang specialize in pottery made from a distinctive reddish-brown clay, finished with a unique “eel skin” glaze. The style is robust, earthy, and functional.
-
Key Products: Household items like jars and pots, decorative tiles, and rustic garden pottery.
-
For the International Buyer: Phu Lang offers a distinct, unpolished aesthetic that is highly sought after in modern rustic and “wabi-sabi” interior design. This village is ideal for sourcing unique, artisanal products where natural texture and form are celebrated. Production is smaller scale than Bat Trang.
3. Tho Ha Village (Bac Giang)
-
Characteristics: Historically, Tho Ha was one of the most prosperous pottery villages, famous for its strong, water-resistant, unglazed stoneware. A unique aspect is that local artisans did not use glaze, instead relying on the clay’s properties and firing techniques to create a beautiful, dark terracotta finish.
-
Key Products: Historically known for jars, coffins, and tiles. Today, it produces more decorative and household items.
-
For the International Buyer: While not as commercially focused as Bat Trang, Tho Ha offers highly durable, unglazed terracotta. It’s a niche sourcing location for buyers seeking authentic, high-iron stoneware with a deep, natural color and a rich history.
4. Huong Canh Village (Vinh Phuc)
-
Characteristics: Huong Canh is known for its “earth-blending” technique, creating a unique clay body that is strong yet porous. Their products were historically considered “living” ceramics, ideal for storing goods like tea, as they could breathe.
-
Key Products: Vases, jars for tea and wine, and decorative animal statues.
-
For the International Buyer: This is a destination for sourcing specialty ceramics with unique functional properties. For brands in the tea, coffee, or gourmet food industries, Huong Canh pots can be a unique selling proposition. The scale is artisanal.
5. Thanh Ha Pottery Village (Hoi An)
-
Characteristics: Located near the UNESCO World Heritage city of Hoi An, Thanh Ha has a 500-year history. It is famous for its soft, reddish-brown terracotta clay, sourced from the local Thu Bon River. The products are light, porous, and often feature hand-carved details.
-
Key Products: Souvenirs, small decorative items, figurines, and architectural tiles used in the restoration of Hoi An’s ancient town.
-
For the International Buyer: Thanh Ha is primarily a hub for tourist crafts and small-scale decorative items. It is an excellent place to source unique, small terracotta products with a strong connection to a world-famous tourist destination. It is not suited for high-volume, industrial orders.
6. Bau Truc Pottery Village (Ninh Thuan)
-
Characteristics: This is one of the most unique and culturally significant pottery villages in Southeast Asia. Maintained by the Cham ethnic minority, Bau Truc’s craft is a living piece of history. Artisans use no potter’s wheel; they walk backwards around the clay, shaping it by hand. The pottery is fired outdoors in an open pile of straw and wood, resulting in unique, fire-streaked patterns of black, red, and brown.
-
Key Products: Vases, water jugs, decorative statues, and cooking pots with distinctive Champa motifs.
-
For the International Buyer: Bau Truc is the ultimate destination for sourcing truly one-of-a-kind, authentic, handmade pottery. Each piece is unique. This is not for high-volume sourcing but for high-end boutiques, galleries, and brands that want to offer products with an incredible cultural story and a primitive, beautiful aesthetic.
7. Vinh Long Pottery Village
-
Characteristics: Located in the Mekong Delta, Vinh Long is famous for its red terracotta, produced from the rich alluvial clay of the river. The region is known for producing high volumes of building materials.
-
Key Products: Red bricks, roof tiles, and rustic, unglazed terracotta pottery.
-
For the International Buyer: Vinh Long is a major hub for sourcing high-quality, industrial-scale red terracotta products. For architectural or large-scale landscaping projects requiring consistent red brick or tile, this is a key region. The focus here is less on decorative glazes and more on the quality and color of the raw clay itself.
Export and Global Reach of Vietnamese Pottery
Vietnamese pottery has become a sought-after export, with significant growth in international markets:
Expanding Global Markets
- By 2022, exports topped $700 million, with destinations including the US, South East Asia, Japan, the European Union, and Taiwan.
- In 2020, Vietnamese pottery reached over 30 countries, with the United States and Japan making up nearly 45% of exports.
Heritage Meets Innovation
- Building on a rich pottery heritage, factories like Long Truong Ceramics blend tradition with advanced manufacturing techniques to deliver high-quality products.
- This expertise has strengthened Vietnam’s reputation as a trusted source of ceramic goods worldwide.
Commitment to Quality
Vietnamese manufacturers prioritize quality control, ensuring products meet international standards, a key factor in maintaining the industry’s global success.
Diverse Product Offerings
- Flexible production capabilities allow for a wide range of ceramic products, appealing to various styles and needs.
- Potential buyers can explore partnerships with established manufacturers opening opportunities for sourcing exceptional Vietnamese pottery.
Vietnamese pottery offers not only high-quality craftsmanship but also robust export potential, making it a compelling choice for global buyers.
A Buyer’s Guide: Sourcing from Pottery Manufacturers in Vietnam
Finding a manufacturer is only the first step. Success depends on understanding the product.
-
Material Matters: Know the difference between low-fire terracotta (porous, rustic) and high-fire stoneware (durable, waterproof). Ensure the material fits your product’s intended use (indoor vs. outdoor, frost-resistance).
-
Quality Control is Visual: Check for cracks (especially at the base), pinholes in the glaze, and color consistency. A good sample is key, but you must have a plan for inspecting the final production run.
-
Packing is Everything: This is the most critical factor for fragile goods. Professional exporters use advanced nesting techniques, custom molds, and sturdy crating to minimize breakage. Always verify a potential supplier’s packing methods.
Conclusion: Crafting a Partnership with Vietnamese Artisans
Vietnam’s pottery industry offers a remarkable spectrum of products, from the high-volume, durable garden planters of the South to the exquisite, handcrafted ceramics of the North. The key to successful sourcing lies in identifying which region and which type of manufacturer aligns with your brand’s aesthetic, quality standards, and business scale. The manufacturers listed here represent the best of the industry’s diversity and export-readiness.
Having visited the bustling workshops in Binh Duong and the serene, historic studios in Bat Trang, the passion for the craft is tangible. It is a blend of ancient tradition and modern enterprise. The best partnerships I’ve seen are not just transactional; they are built on a deep appreciation for this artistry, combined with clear professional communication and a shared commitment to quality. By investing in such a partnership, you are not just buying a product, but a piece of Vietnam’s rich cultural heritage.
Are You a Vietnamese Pottery Manufacturer Ready to Export?
The global demand for authentic, high-quality Vietnamese pottery and ceramics is stronger than ever. If your workshop is committed to craftsmanship and ready to connect with trusted international buyers, VALO Vietnam is your platform to the world.
Click here to register as a VALO Verified Supplier and showcase your craft!
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore the rich history and unique features of Vietnamese pottery, learn about its distinctions from Chinese pottery, and discover where to find reputable pottery manufacturers in Vietnam. Uncover the unique characteristics of ceramics from Vietnam’s pottery villages and trusted manufacturers.
What is the history of Vietnamese pottery?
Vietnamese pottery dates back thousands of years, reflecting a blend of influences from neighboring regions and local innovations. Over time, Vietnamese potters developed unique styles and techniques that distinguish their work, blending functionality with artistic expression.
How is Vietnamese pottery distinguished from Chinese pottery?
Vietnamese pottery often features simpler, more rustic designs compared to the more elaborate styles seen in Chinese pottery. Vietnamese ceramics showcase distinct texture patterns and earthy colors, setting them apart from the refined, intricate designs typical in Chinese wares.
Where can one find the leading pottery manufacturers in Vietnam?
The leading pottery manufacturers in Vietnam are often located in regions known for their craftsmanship, such as Binh Duong and Dong Nai. These areas have established themselves with factories that produce a wide range of pottery products using advanced techniques.
How can one assess the value of Vietnamese pottery artifacts?
To assess value, consider the rarity, historical significance, condition, and craftsmanship of the piece. Authenticity and age can greatly influence value. Consulting experts or comparing with similar pieces from known collections can also provide insights into an artifact’s worth.
What are some reputable Vietnamese pottery manufacturers?
Reputable manufacturers include those involved in both traditional and contemporary pottery production. For buyers seeking export-ready suppliers, reaching out to VALO Vietnam to connect with qualified manufacturers in Vietnam.