Discovering & Understanding the Red Kingdom
Út Pink is a starting point for countless journeys into the hidden stories of Mang Thit’s “Red Kingdom”. Within just a few dozen minutes by boat lie hundreds of century-old brick and ceramic kilns, along with a network of canals that once sustained an entire craft community. Through a network of artisans and local residents who have worked alongside Út Pink for nearly a decade, visitors can gain rare access to pottery workshops where the kilns are still burning, and encounter local cultural stories that few travellers would otherwise have the opportunity to experience.
A BOAT JOURNEY ALONG THE THAY CAI CANAL
For generations, the Thay Cai Canal has been the lifeline connecting Mang Thit’s brick kilns with the Co Chien River, carrying boats laden with clay, rice husks, and the craft itself from one generation to the next.
From Út Pink, guests step aboard a small boat and travel past homes, orchards, riverside landings, and working workshops lining both banks. It is a slow journey on the water, where changing light transforms the old brick walls from warm orange to deep red throughout the day.
VISITING A CENTURY-OLD BRICK KILN
Across Mang Thit, a number of distinctive egg-shaped kilns still remain — a form associated with the traditional kiln architecture of Southern Khmer communities and once central to the livelihoods of entire local communities.
Visitors can step inside a historic brick kiln, look up through the circular opening at the top of its dome, run their hands across layers of arched brickwork fired through hundreds of kiln cycles, and hear stories of Mang Thit’s prosperous past, when thousands of kilns once glowed red through the night.
HANDS-ON ART WORKSHOPS
The artistic culture of Mang Thit has been passed down through generations of brick and pottery makers. Visitors to Út Pink can take part in creative activities alongside local artisans and resident artists, gaining first-hand insight into their processes and ways of working.
We also host conversations with artists and researchers in residence, offering a closer look at their work while opening up new ways of engaging with and understanding this century-old heritage.
POTTERY MAKING WITH LOCAL ARTISANS
At Út Pink’s pottery workshop, local artisans guide visitors through selecting the clay, shaping it by hand, and learning to sense the moisture and texture of the material — knowledge traditionally passed down through generations by word of mouth rather than recorded in books.
This hands-on experience offers a slower way to understand the patience and craftsmanship behind Mang Thit’s “Red Kingdom”, while allowing each visitor to take home a simple piece of unfired pottery shaped with their own hands.
PAINTING WITH THE RED EARTH OF MANG THIT
With the sound of motorboats echoing from the Thay Cai Canal and a gentle breeze moving through this southern land, visitors to Út Pink learn with a guide how to grind local clay into pigment.
Using the characteristic red, orange, and brown tones of the earth, each person can create a hand-painted postcard of Mang Thit to send to family or friends — a small keepsake carrying the colours and memory of an entire place.
SKETCHING THE CRAFT VILLAGE
In the soft light of early morning or sunset, Mang Thit reveals a landscape of egg-shaped brick kilns reflected on the canal, while boats drift quietly past rows of nipa palms.
Visitors are invited to bring a pen and paper, find a quiet spot along the banks of the Thay Cai Canal, and spend time sketching the slow rhythm of life in this traditional craft village.
EXPLORING THE CRAFT VILLAGE BY BICYCLE
Starting from the grounds of the former workshop, visitors can cycle along narrow village roads beside the Thay Cai Canal, stopping at surviving brick kilns and old houses tucked behind fruit orchards.
Bicycles are available for all staying guests, allowing everyone to explore at their own pace, with lesser-known routes suggested by Út Pink’s local team.
EXPERIENCING FREE-RANGE DUCK HERDING
After each harvest season, the fields around Mang Thit become ideal feeding grounds for flocks of ducks, where fallen rice grains and small fish and shrimp left in the flooded paddies can sustain thousands of ducks each season. This traditional farming practice is closely tied to the agricultural rhythms of the Mekong Delta.
Guests at Út Pink are invited to follow a local duck-herding family, learn how the flock is moved from one field to another, and discover how farmers read the water levels and weather conditions to decide where the ducks should stop and feed.
AN EVENING OF ĐỜN CA TÀI TỬ BY THE CANAL
At sunset by the mouth of the Thay Cai Canal, guests gather around a garden-style meal accompanied by the sounds of the đờn kìm and đờn cò, blending with the voices of Southern Vietnamese đờn ca tài tử performers. Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, the music becomes part of a dinner experience that offers an intimate glimpse into the spirit of Mang Thit.