{"id":7943,"date":"2026-02-17T22:55:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T15:55:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/battrang.museum\/?post_type=journal&p=7943"},"modified":"2026-02-17T23:14:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T16:14:31","slug":"a-once-in-a-decade-story-at-bat-trang-museum","status":"publish","type":"journal","link":"https:\/\/battrang.museum\/en\/journal\/a-once-in-a-decade-story-at-bat-trang-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"A Once-in-a-Decade Story at B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1771255673700{background-image: url(http:\/\/battrang.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/BTMJ-00007641-cover-2-2.jpg?id=8031) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_empty_space height=”48rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”3rem”][vc_empty_space height=”3rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]\r\n

A Once-in-a-Decade Story at B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng Museum<\/h1>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”1rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_empty_space height=”3rem”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-md-5 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]\r\n

Ten years is enough time for a tiled roof to weather and fade \u2014 and enough time for it to be lifted and set in place again. <\/strong><\/p>\r\n

The recent roof restoration at the former residence of People\u2019s Artisan V\u0169 Th\u1eafng was not simply structural maintenance; it was a reminder of the quiet hands that continue to safeguard heritage.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

*<\/h3>\r\n
<\/h5>\r\n
Words \u2014 H\u00e0 Tu\u1ea5n Minh<\/strong><\/span>\r\nBTMJ Editor \u2014 V\u0169 Chi Lam\r\n<\/strong><\/span>Photograph \u2014 V\u0169 B\u00e1ch L\u00e2m<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-2 vc_col-sm-offset-1 vc_col-xs-offset-4 vc_col-xs-4″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm”][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_single_image image=”7951″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-2 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner offset=”vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_empty_space height=”10rem”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text el_class=”no-indent”]\r\n

Writer Junichiro Tanizaki once described East Asian architecture as something shaped by \u201cthe pale shadow cast by a large umbrella\u201d \u2014 that umbrella being the roof itself.<\/span><\/h3>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-6 vc_col-sm-offset-2 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md”][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-6 vc_col-xs-8″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_empty_space height=”4rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_single_image image=”7953″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/4″ offset=”vc_col-md-2 vc_col-sm-offset-1 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-3″][vc_single_image image=”907″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”14rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

Beneath the Roof, A Space of Memory<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Writer Junichiro Tanizaki once described East Asian architecture as something shaped by \u201cthe pale shadow cast by a large umbrella\u201d \u2014 that umbrella being the roof itself. Across regions, the form of that \u201cumbrella\u201d varies: Japan\u2019s muted grey kawara tiles curve gently, China\u2019s glazed liuli tiles rise in dramatic arcs, while the Vietnamese roof finds its identity in balance.<\/p>\r\n

Vietnamese architecture is often recognized through its yin\u2013yang tile system. Alternating convex and concave tiles create a rhythmic wave along the roofline. Beyond aesthetics, this structure adapts to tropical rains and heat, while allowing air to circulate beneath.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_section el_class=”.grid-collection”][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”7949″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”7967″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”7985″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”7959″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_single_image image=”7963″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-4 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]\r\n

Located on the outskirts of Hanoi, B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng is a 700-year-old village closely tied to ceramic craftsmanship. Many artisans continue to build traditional three-compartment houses as spaces to display and preserve their work. Though similar in form, each house carries its own character \u2014 reflecting different layers of village life.<\/p>\r\n

The residence of People\u2019s Artisan V\u0169 Th\u1eafng was completed in 2006, the same year he led the restoration of the B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng communal house. While contributing to the revival of a shared village landmark, he also built this home as a space to hold his creative legacy. Within less than 70 square meters, the house preserves not only the ceramic works he created over five decades, but also the artifacts and antiques he collected. It functions both as a gallery and as part of the legacy he left behind.<\/p>\r\n

The handmade terracotta tiles, tightly interlocked, shield the interior from sun and rain while regulating temperature and guiding natural light inside. Roof \u201cturning\u201d \u2014 removing, cleaning, and resetting the tiles \u2014 is essential maintenance. The last restoration took place in 2016, when B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng Museum was first established. A decade later, the roof once again required reinforcement. Yet skilled craftsmen capable of this work have become increasingly rare in \u0110\u00e0o X\u00e1 village, Th\u01b0\u1eddng T\u00edn.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-sm-offset-2 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_single_image image=”7965″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

Rebuilding the Roof, Like Rewriting a Page from the Past<\/b><\/p>\r\n

The work began at 5 a.m. Two craftsmen in their early sixties, Mr. L\u00ea V\u0103n Xuy\u00ean and Mr. Nguy\u1ec5n V\u0103n Hi\u1ec7p, traveled more than 50 kilometers from \u0110\u00e0o X\u00e1 to B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng. With over four decades of experience, they started as the morning mist still lingered.<\/p>\r\n

Old tiles were removed, the surface cleaned, and weakened wooden supports reinforced. Over the course of a week, the tiles were carefully measured and reset in staggered layers to ensure alignment and tight sealing. Ridge and edge tiles were secured and trimmed by hand to prevent water penetration.<\/p>\r\n

When completed, the roof retained its familiar appearance while gaining renewed strength \u2014 the result of decades of accumulated skill practiced quietly and consistently.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”8rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”7971″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”8023″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”7975″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”7977″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7993″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7997″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”8001″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7969″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”8003″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”8005″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”8015″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”8011″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”8007″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”8021″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”8013″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”8019″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7999″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7983″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_single_image image=”7989″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_single_image image=”7981″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

Mr. Nguy\u1ec5n V\u0103n Hi\u1ec7p (1962, left) and Mr. L\u00ea V\u0103n Xuy\u00ean (1960, right) are among the few remaining craftsmen from \u0110\u00e0o X\u00e1 village who continue the traditional roof-turning technique passed down through generations.<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

Tea Break Conversations and a Fading Craft<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

During brief pauses in the afternoon breeze, conversations unfolded over hot tea. From Nam \u0110\u1ecbnh and Ninh B\u00ecnh to H\u01b0ng Y\u00ean and H\u1ea3i D\u01b0\u01a1ng, wherever old roofs or communal houses need repair, their work leaves its mark.<\/p>\r\n

Lean and sun-weathered, the two craftsmen work with instinctive precision and rarely complain, despite unpredictable weather. Each month, they take on two projects lasting five to seven days before returning home. The income is modest, but enough to support their families and educate their children.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cNgh\u00e8o nh\u01b0ng vui\u201d \u2014 \u201cPoor, but happy,\u201d one of them says with a smile.<\/p>\r\n

When asked whether the next generation will continue the craft, the answer is only a gentle smile. His son now works as a long-distance driver \u2014 also traveling far for a living, but on a different road. The quiet that follows suggests a larger concern: as the craftsmen age, so too does the future of the trade.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_single_image image=”7991″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

Preserving the Roof, Preserving the Knowledge<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

In Japan, carpenters who specialize in restoring traditional wooden architecture are known as miya-daiku<\/i>. Their work preserves not only buildings but also knowledge \u2014 of structure, material, and spirit. Components are dismantled, studied, and reassembled as part of a living system of transmission. Such craftsmanship has been recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.<\/p>\r\n

Old roofs may endure through time. Yet the craftsmen who can \u201cread\u201d a tile\u2019s age and understand how each layer must rest upon another are now mostly in their later years. Between the stillness of these roofs lies something more fragile than material structure: the knowledge and experience carried across generations.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”8rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

*<\/h1>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”8rem”][vc_single_image image=”4215″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
The heritage house of People\u2019s Artisan V\u0169 Th\u1eafng featured in L\u2019OFFICIEL Vietnam, August 2024. Photograph by L\u00ea Lai.<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-4 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]\r\n
The Garden of Memory<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n
Personal traces left by People\u2019s Artisan V\u0169 Th\u1eafng remain throughout the old house and its garden \u2014 a space shaped as much by memory as by material.<\/h5>\r\n
From ceramic bricks he crafted by hand to mosaic pathways made of broken kiln shards, each detail carries a quiet history. Ceramic paintings, carved ceiling motifs, ancestral altar sculptures, and later works such as the Dragon Bia H\u01a1i Chair and the red ceramic Dragon Tr\u00e0 \u0110\u00e1 Stool from the R\u1ed3ng Ph\u1ed1<\/i> collection, alongside minimalist Totems placed within the space, form a layered narrative of continuity.<\/h5>\r\n
This ongoing dialogue between inheritance and reinvention has become a defining characteristic of B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng Museum.<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-sm-offset-2 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_single_image image=”4223″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”8rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]\r\n
The heritage house and garden of B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng Museum have been featured in contemporary fashion and art publications.<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”3019″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Featured in \u0110\u1eb9p Magazine, March 2024. Photograph by Thai Pham.<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”5390″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Featured in ELLE Vietnam, January 2025. Photograph by Thai Pham.<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”6002″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Featured in Heritage Fashion, May\u2013June 2025. Photograph by Thai Pham.<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”4083″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Featured in Heritage Fashion, August 2024. Photograph by Phuong Vu (AntiAntiArt).<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”16rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_single_image image=”892″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_empty_space height=”16rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
\n
\n\t\n \t
\t\n \t
\"\"<\/div>\n \t
\n \t

Four Women Designers in Dialogue with Ceramic Heritage<\/h4>\n \n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t