Article updated on December 28, 2024
Text & photographs: Claire Lessiau & Marcella van Alphen
Battambang, Cambodia’s second-largest city with a thriving agriculture, is an authentic destination that is ideal to dig into the traditional crafts of the country. Join us as we take you through a series of seven short articles, each uncovering the secrets of one of these crafts.
Traveling through rural Cambodia, one cannot fail to notice massive hand-crafted water jars by many houses. These clay vessels, which can hold up to 1,000 liters of water, are an essential part of daily life in the countryside. Typically filled by hand, these jars serve a variety of crucial functions—from drinking and cooking to washing—and are especially vital during the dry season when water access becomes scarce.
In Battambang, the so-called “Water Jar District” is home to families who have turned this centuries-old craft into a livelihood. Each family marks their jars differently with red and yellow paint for good luck. The process of manufacturing these jars begins with collecting clay from local fields and rivers. This clay is shaped over a wooden mold, then wrapped in cloth and covered with three layers of concrete for strength, reinforced with wire. The entire process takes about four hours, and after four to five days of drying, the jars are ready for transport.
Driving through Battambang, it is not unusual to see small, rusty 125cc scooters pulling trailers laden with five massive 1,000-liter jars, bouncing over roads riddled with potholes!
In rural villages, where running water is often a luxury, these jars provide an indispensable improvement to daily life. For many families, fetching water is a task typically assigned to their young girls before school. The ability to store water in these large jars saves them time in the morning, allowing them to catch their transport and attend class, making a tangible difference in their education.
Travel tips:
- To make the most of your visit, we strongly recommend you to take a local guide as most craft-people do not speak English and are actually working hard to make a living, so they should not be disturbed. The local guide knows the usage and will tip appropriately.
- Check out this interactive map for the specific details to help you plan your trip and more articles and photos (zoom out) about the area!
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