Mang Thit: The Kingdom of Brick Kilns in the Mekong Delta

Located in Vinh Long province, in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, the brick-making village of Mang Thit is known as the "kingdom of bricks" in the region. With a history of over 100 years, this red-brick village offers an authentic experience of rural life and traditional brick-making techniques, passed down from generation to generation. Without further ado, let’s discover the picturesque charm of this unique village!

At its peak, in the 1990s, the village had more than 3,000 kilns in operation, producing bricks and tiles renowned for their high-quality clay and unique firing techniques. Today, about 800 remain, spread over an area of 3,000 hectares, mainly concentrated along the Thay Cai canal up to the section bordering the Co Chien River, a branch of the Mekong.

The clay is extracted from the canals and streams of Vinh Long and Tra Vinh, transported to the kilns, and then cut into small pieces. For extraction, miners dig several meters into the ground until they reach a dense, plastic clay layer.

The brick kilns are located close to one another along the banks of the canal, making it easier to transport the finished products. From a distance, they resemble a true "kingdom" with hundreds of small "castles."

The brick kilns are built from thousands of carefully arranged bricks in a circular structure that gradually narrows towards the top, reaching an average height of 15 to 20 meters. Typically, a team of 10 workers takes about fifteen days to complete a kiln, requiring over 30,000 bricks.

Each kiln can hold around 15,000 pieces, and it takes 20 days to obtain the finished product. For firing, workers use rice husk ash, an economical and eco-friendly solution.

With a history of over a century, this village represents a unique craftsmanship legacy, combining Khmer artisanal traditions, ceramic molding techniques from Chinese immigrants, and the production expertise of the Kinh people. The brick and ceramic kilns of Mang Thit thus constitute an invaluable cultural heritage.