Vinh Long, a precious gem of the Mekong Delta, not only attracts tourists by its fruit gardens full of sweet fruits but also by its ancient and majestic pagodas with unique and one-of-a-kind architecture. Vinh Long is famous for its ancient pagodas, which are not only spiritual destinations that attract many Buddhists but also preserve precious cultural and historical values.
Besides the Vinh Long pagodas that attract a large number of Buddhists to visit and worship, this land is also mentioned by everyone for the countless brick kilns located next to the poetic Co Chien and Mang Thit rivers. Mang Thit brick kilns are not only the place to produce bright red bricks but also a witness to history, a symbol of a long-standing traditional craft village.
A golden age
Vinh Long province is located between two large rivers, Tien Giang and Hau Giang, separated by the Mekong River itself. The intricate river system was formed by the appearance of islands built up by alluvium. Over thousands of years, under the alluvium of the two rivers, rare layers of soft clay have formed - the raw material for making famous red ceramic products of Vinh Long.
Located next to the poetic Co Chien River, Mang Thit brick kiln (Vinh Long province) has an extremely impressive red color in the middle of the river region of the West.
Among the brick and tile making villages in the West, the area along the Co Chien River in Vinh Long Province has existed the longest. The brick kiln in Vinh Long Province stretches over 30km, located next to the clear, poetic Co Chien River. The brick kiln is located in Long Ho and Mang Thit districts. The number of households participating in brick production is most concentrated in Nhon Phu and My An communes in Mang Thit District, Vinh Long Province.
Mang Thit Vinh Long brick kiln has existed and grown along with the Co Chien river for over 100 years. Therefore, this brick kiln is extremely famous and the largest in the Mekong Delta. Not only that, the products of the pottery village are also allowed to be exported to many developed countries in the world. The people and indigenous people living in this land for hundreds of years have affectionately called Mang Thit Vinh Long brick kiln the "kingdom of bricks and tiles".
"Red Kingdom" in the Mekong Delta
Mang Thit Vinh Long brick kiln is remembered by everyone with the image of each red-pink kiln roof, rows of bricks stained with time in the middle of the Co Chien River for hundreds of years. Visiting Mang Thit pottery village, visitors will witness with their own eyes all the stages of making fine art ceramic products such as choosing clay, kneading clay, putting it into molds to shape, drying in the sun, placing it in the kiln, firing the kiln... According to the elders here, in the past, when the traditional craft of making bricks was still prosperous, each house owned several kilns. The brick kilns are located close together, looking from afar like a "red kingdom" with hundreds of small castles.
Brick making has been here for a long time. With fertile land resources, a large amount of alluvium from the Mekong River accumulated over many years, forming valuable clay mines. From there, Vinh Long people skillfully kneaded and transformed them into bricks and unique ceramic products.
Each kiln roof and each row of bricks blends with the unique natural river scenery, making this place a unique check-in spot.
The ceramic industry in Vinh Long has a unique feature, which is unglazed ceramics. The fuel is rice husk, a familiar product of the rice-growing region. In addition, due to the alum-contaminated nature of this special red clay, when fired, Vinh Long red ceramics often have white veins caused by alum.
The shape of Mang Thit brick kiln in Vinh Long is similar to other places in the West. The architecture of these brick kilns is like an “orange mushroom”. Above is a large hole like a skylight, on both sides are chimneys. The raw material to build these kilns is also brick, with hundreds of thousands of bricks stacked on top of each other.
This place is also famous for its unique architecture.
To visit the brick kiln, from the center of Vinh Long city, visitors can take a boat down the Co Chien river with a water route of about 8km. In addition, visitors can also combine road and water to get to Mang Thit brick kiln. From the center of Vinh Long city, take Muoi Bon Thang Chin street, pass the intersection right at Dinh Khao ferry, follow DT902 road for about 8km. When arriving at Kenh Thay Cai bridge, take a boat to visit the pottery village.
Along with the Co Chien River, the old smoky brick kiln has quietly gone through many ups and downs, so anyone who comes here can feel its timeless beauty. Mang Thit Vinh Long brick kiln has an ancient and unique beauty. The image of the bricks lying silently in the middle of a peaceful, tranquil scene at the kilns makes the scene here more attractive and peaceful than ever. In the late afternoon, the scene of Mang Thit Vinh Long brick kiln becomes even more sparkling and impressive.
It's no longer a story of bricks but a story of a golden age.
Mang Thit Vinh Long Brick Kiln is a place that still preserves many valuable ancient primary clay mines. All primary clay mines are located inside traditional red brick and ceramic villages along both banks. This is the most important raw material for making decorative products, or in construction such as red bricks, fired bricks, ceramics, etc. From the experienced hands of craftsmen, thousands of valuable works are born, bringing many useful uses to people.
Preserving the "red kingdom"
According to the locals, the traditional craft of making bricks and ceramics in Vinh Long was once so prosperous and glorious that every family living along the river owned a kiln. That is why the Mang Thit Vinh Long brick and ceramic kiln village still retains many traditional values. Each brick kiln is considered a symbol of time, imbued with many memories.
The locality strives to turn the "red kingdom" of Mang Thit into a unique contemporary heritage area of international stature, an attractive destination with top quality in all three aspects.
In particular, the red bricks here are not only building materials but also works of art. Through the skillful hands of artisans, the bricks become masterpieces with all different forms. From simple red bricks, artisans have created many unique decorative products imbued with traditional culture.
Mang Thit pottery village has its own unique feature, which is unglazed pottery. Without the red color of bricks and tiles, Mang Thit pottery has a natural pink color, after firing, the outside is covered with a layer of white powder like mist. Not only impressive by the color of pottery, in Co Chien, Vinh Long also has a unique architectural work that is almost unique in Vietnam, which is the pottery house. Although not as prosperous as before, some Mang Thit families still maintain production and preserve the traditional profession. According to statistics of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vinh Long province, out of a total of 1,424 brick kilns, 877 kilns still retain their original architecture.
The ceramic kilns here are still burning day and night to create beautiful, unique, quality products.
A brick kiln is usually about 12m high. It takes 5 days to load and unload bricks, 15 days to fire, and 10 days to build the kiln door and wait for the bricks to cool. Bricks are fired with rice husks with a very careful inspection and fire-keeping process to ensure the bricks are "cooked" properly. After about 1 month of firing, the finished product is about 120,000 standard bricks. In the past, when transportation was not yet developed, bricks were transported throughout the South by river.
Although there are still many difficulties in developing and maintaining the red brick firing village of Mang Thit, Vinh Long, the brick kilns here are still burning day and night to create beautiful, unique, and quality products. The workers are still diligently working to create cultural features that carry the values of the Vietnamese soul and Eastern culture, lasting over the years.
In addition to innovating production technology, Mang Thit brick village is being sought by Vinh Long province to develop tourism with the project "Mang Thit Contemporary Heritage" to preserve the unique cultural values left by previous generations. Helping people in the area to change their livelihoods, improve their lives, contribute to the development of the tourism industry, and create momentum for socio-economic development in the locality.
