Under the approved plan, the Bat Trang Ancient Village Ecological Museum – Trade and Cultural Development Zone will cover approximately 300 hectares along the left bank of the Red River, forming the largest traditional ceramics hub in Vietnam.
The core zone features 23 historic houses, 16 clan temples, and a distinctive network of alleys, gates, charcoal walls, and weathered moss-covered walls. This area serves as the primary space for tourism and heritage experiences. It is home to about 350 households with 1,100 residents, most of whom are directly engaged in ceramics production and community-based tourism.
The surrounding zone includes Bat Trang Hamlet 2, Giang Cao, the Vietnam Craft Village Quintessence Center, Kim Lan pottery village, a tourism port, the Bac Hung Hai River bridge, parking areas, and riverside routes along the Red River. This area supports production, trade, and tourism, while functioning as a key ecological landscape and infrastructure zone. It accommodates around 650 households with 2,800 residents involved in production, commerce, and services, and includes a ceramics market of roughly 400 booths and the Vietnam Craft Village Quintessence Center, welcoming an estimated 200,000 – 300,000 visitors annually.
The area is home to three nationally recognized intangible cultural heritage elements: Bat Trang pottery craftsmanship, the Bat Trang village festival, and Bat Trang ceremonial cuisine knowledge. It also contains four city-level tangible heritage sites: Bat Trang Communal House, Kim Truc Tu Pagoda, Bat Trang Van Chi (Confucian shrine), and Bat Trang Mother Goddess Temple. In addition, the village preserves 23 historic houses and 16 clan temples built with Bat Trang bricks, along with around 30 other heritage-valued sites (clan temples, scholar families’ residences, representative historic houses, houses from different periods, and community-based tourism sites).
In terms of customs and practices, notable traditions include the intergenerational transmission of pottery skills within clans, veneration of the craft ancestors, the Bat Trang village festival, the early-year “fire-seeking” ritual, village conventions dating back to the 17th century, and ancestor and craft-ancestor worship rituals closely tied to community life.
The Bat Trang Commune People’s Committee has proposed that the city approve the development of infrastructure-related components, including: creating a riverbank landscape zone as a riverside tourism street; leveraging the Bat Trang river port to develop tourism activities; permitting the construction of Bat Trang village gates and alley gates along tourism routes; and installing public artworks in communal spaces.
It also recommends simplifying administrative procedures for licensing artistic performances, exhibitions, and related cultural activities within the trade and cultural development zone.
For the 1:500 Detailed Planning Scheme on the conservation and development of traditional craft villages combined with tourism in Bat Trang ceramics village, the commune requests that the city direct the Department of Planning and Architecture and relevant agencies to expedite the preparation, appraisal, and approval of the plan.
The Vietnam Craft Village Quintessence Center currently welcomes an estimated 200,000 – 300,000 visitors per year.
The commune has also proposed that the city allow studies and investment proposals for a Red River Riverside Road (width 21-23 meters) in accordance with the approved master plan, running from the foot of Thanh Tri Bridge in Long Bien Ward to the former Bat Trang Commune, in order to create an integrated transport network and promote local economic and tourism development. In addition, the commune requests approval for investment in the Red River Riverside Road (width 21–23 meters) and a bridge across the Bac Hung Hai River, as planned, within the former Kim Lan and Van Duc communes, to connect the Bat Trang Ancient Village area with Kim Lan Craft Village, meeting conditions for local economic and tourism growth.
Regarding the Bat Trang Tourism Port yard and pier, the commune proposes that the Hanoi People’s Committee assign the Department of Construction to advise, report, and develop management mechanisms and partnership models, including joint ventures and contractual arrangements, to ensure effective operation and exploitation of the port facilities once the project is implemented.
For the operation of electric vehicles within the Bat Trang Ancient Village Ecological Museum – Trade and Cultural Development Zone, the commune requests that the city direct the Department of Construction to advise on and grant permits for passenger transport services using electric vehicles in the area.
Speaking at the conference, Le Hong Son, Standing Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, acknowledged the efforts and commitment of the entire Bat Trang political system in implementing the project from its initial stages, including coordination with consultants and experts to research, survey, and develop the project proposal; organizing multiple seminars and workshops to introduce the Bat Trang Ancient Village Ecological Museum model; and holding conferences to collect feedback on the trade and cultural development proposal and the design of the riverside tourism street. To accelerate implementation, the Standing Vice Chairman instructed Bat Trang Commune to urgently finalize the project dossier and submit it to the Hanoi People’s Committee for approval as soon as possible, enabling the Bat Trang Ancient Village Ecological Museum – Trade and Cultural Development Zone to be implemented and brought into operation at an early date.