21.045356°N 105.845973°W

Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural (Hanoi Ceramic Road) (Vietnamese

Vietnamese language

Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...

: Con đường Gốm sứ) is a ceramic mosaic mural on the wall of the dyke system of Hanoi

Hanoi

Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...

, Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

. With a length of about 4km, the Ceramic Road is one of the major projects that were developed on the occasion of the Millennial Anniversary of Hanoi

Millennial Anniversary of Hanoi

The Millennial Anniversary of Hanoi was celebrated from October 1 to October 10, 2010, the 1,000th anniversary of the foundation of the capital Thăng Long by the emperor Lý Thái Tổ...

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History

The Hanoi Ceramic Road originated with the journalist Nguyễn Thu Thủy, who won a prize in the Hanoi architecture contest for her idea of transforming the dyke system around Hanoi into a ceramic mosaic

Mosaic

Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...

. The work of decoration began in 2007 for the dyke wall of about 6.000m in length and 0.95m in height which runs along the road of Âu Cơ, Nghi Tàm, Yên Phụ, Trần Nhật Duật, Trần Quang Khải, Trần Khánh Dư and terminates at the pier of the Long Biên Bridge

Long Bien Bridge

Long Bien Bridge is a historic cantilever bridge across the Red River that connects two parts of the city of Hanoi, Vietnam. It was originally called Paul Doumer Bridge.- History :...

. The Ceramic Road was planned to be finished in 2010 to commemorate the Millennial Anniversary of Hanoi

Millennial Anniversary of Hanoi

The Millennial Anniversary of Hanoi was celebrated from October 1 to October 10, 2010, the 1,000th anniversary of the foundation of the capital Thăng Long by the emperor Lý Thái Tổ...

 in October 2010.

Participating in the work of decoration are not only Vietnamese artists but also foreign embassies and culture centres in Hanoi such as the Goethe-Institut

Goethe-Institut

The Goethe-Institut is a non-profit German cultural institution operational worldwide, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and relations. The Goethe-Institut also fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on German...

, L'espace

Alliance française

The Alliance française , or AF, is an international organisation that aims to promote French language and culture around the world. created in Paris on 21 July 1883, its primary concern is teaching French as a second language and is headquartered in Paris -History:The Alliance was created in Paris...

, British Council

British Council

The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...

, Dalte Centre and other culture centres from Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 and South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

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Description

The mosaic wall is made from ceramic

Ceramic

A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...

 tessera

Tessera

A tessera is an individual tile in a mosaic, usually formed in the shape of a cube. It is also known as an abaciscus, abaculus, or, in Persian کاشي معرق. In antiquity, mosaics were formed from naturally colored pebbles, but by 200 BC purpose-made tesserae were being used...

e which are product of Bát Tràng

Bát Tràng

Bát Tràng is an old, well established village in the Gia Lâm district of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. It is about 13 km from central Hanoi....

, a village famous for its Bát Tràng porcelain

Bát Tràng Porcelain

Bát Tràng porcelain and pottery is a type of ceramics made in the village of Bát Tràng, in the suburban outskirts of the northern Vietnamese city of Hanoi . The village is located in an area rich in clay suitable for making fine ceramic...

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The content of the mosaic represents the decorative pattern from different periods in the history of Vietnam

History of Vietnam

The history of Vietnam covers a period of more than 2,700 years. By far Vietnam's most important historical international relationship has been with China. Vietnam's prehistory includes a legend about a kingdom known as Van Lang that included what is now China's Guangxi Autonomous Region and...

: Phùng Nguyên culture; Đông Sơn culture; Lý Dynasty

Lý Dynasty

The Lý Dynasty , sometimes known as the Later Lý Dynasty , was a Vietnamese dynasty that began in 1009 when Lý Thái Tổ overthrew the Prior Lê Dynasty and ended in 1225 when the queen Lý Chiêu Hoàng was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of her husband, Trần Cảnh. They ruled Vietnam for a...

; Trần Dynasty; Lê Dynasty

Lê Dynasty

The Later Lê Dynasty , sometimes referred to as the Lê Dynasty was the longest-ruling dynasty of Vietnam, ruling the country from 1428 to 1788, with a brief interruption....

 and Nguyễn Dynasty. Also incorporated on the wall are modern art works, paintings of Hanoi and children's drawings.

Ms. Nguyen Thu Thuy said the project will strive to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records

Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...

 for the world's largest ceramic mosaic by 2010.
On 5 October 2010, Guinness World Records adjudicator, Beatriz Fernandez, undertook an official review of the Hanoi ceramic mosaic to confirm its dimensions and ensure the strict guidelines relating to the record had been followed. Ms Fernandez confirmed that at 3,850 linear meters (6,950m²) of the Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural was the world’s largest ceramic mosaic and awarded a Guinness World Records certificate.