A Kampong Chhnang shore excursion takes you from the Tonle Sap River port through rice paddies to Andong Russei, where women shape terracotta pots with a wooden paddle and anvil, often beneath their stilted houses. A shore visit usually takes 2–4 hours, ride included. Red clay from the hills beside the village feeds the work, and carts carry the pots across Cambodia. The clay moves from hill to hand to fire.
What happens on a Kampong Chhnang shore excursion to the pottery village?
A Kampong Chhnang shore excursion lands you at the Tonle Sap River port, carries you 10–20 minutes by tuk-tuk to Andong Russei, and gives you time to watch potters work beneath their houses before you ride back. Here a village means a lane of family houses, some with a pottery space beneath the floor, not one site with a gate.
| Step | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Land | You step ashore at the river port. |
| 2 | Ride | A tuk-tuk covers 2.5–3 mi (4–5 km) west in 10–20 minutes. |
| 3 | Watch | Potters shape and dry pots beneath stilted houses. |
| 4 | Browse | Stalls and workshops show braziers, jars, and figures. |
| 5 | Return | You ride back to the port and board again. |
Kampong Chhnang lies on the Tonle Sap River, about 50–59 mi (80–95 km) north of Phnom Penh. The village appears in print as Andong Russei, Andoung Russei, Andong Russey, and Ondong Rossey.
What is Andong Russei, and why does it make pots?
Andong Russei is a village in Sre Thmei commune, Rolea B’ier district, west of Kampong Chhnang town. Several hundred families live beside the clay hills of Phnom Krang Dei Meas, and a minority make pottery their main trade. The commune is known for high-quality clay.
| Count | Families | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Village | About 400 | Village record |
| Active commercial potters | 55 | Commune chief’s record |
| Tourism group | 15 | Phnom Penh Post report, March 2020 |
The counts run from the whole village to the working potters to the tourism group. Pots leave the village by cart and truck, and the men travel with them.
How do the potters of Andong Russei shape a pot without a wheel?
A potter holds a rounded wooden anvil inside the clay, strikes the outside with a flat wooden paddle to thin the wall, and walks around the still pot as it grows. Together, the anvil and paddle thin and round a wall without a spinning table.
| Step | Stage | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dig | Red clay comes from the hills beside the village. | The Cambodia Daily |
| 2 | Form | The potter sets clay on a vertical stand and walks around it. | Smithsonian |
| 3 | Beat | The anvil inside and the paddle outside thin the wall. | Smithsonian |
| 4 | Close | The potter lifts the body off the stand and beats the open bottom into a rounded base. | Smithsonian |
| 5 | Dry | Pots dry beneath the house and in the sun. | Smithsonian |
| 6 | Fire | Pots burn in open-air fires on rice straw at low temperature. | Smithsonian |
The stages run from digging the clay to firing the pot. Reports differ on the number of pots in one fire, and no source states the peak temperature or time. Newer workshops may use kilns.
Do all Andong Russei potters work without a wheel?
No. Many potters use the paddle and anvil, and others use a wheel. Foot-kicked wheels arrived in the late 1990s, and later training added wheels, glazes, and large kilns. Young girls master the paddle and anvil before they learn the wheel.
What do the potters make, and where do the pots go?
The potters make cooking pots, braziers, water jars, and small figures, and village men sell them by cart and truck across Cambodia. Women make the pots; husbands and brothers carry them on selling trips.
| Product | Use | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking pot and stove | A round-bottomed pot sits on a stove with a coal bed. | One cataloged set measures about 20 × 14 × 6 in (51 × 36 × 15 cm). |
| Water jar | Water storage at home. | Ask whether the paddle and anvil or a wheel shaped it. |
| Bank and figure | A child’s savings bank or an animal figure. | Elephant-shaped banks dry in the sun before firing. |
How old is the pottery of Kampong Chhnang, and how did it change?
Kampong Chhnang has made earthenware for centuries, and its Khmer name, “port of pots”, records the trade. Aid organisations introduced foot-kicked wheels in the late 1990s, and Japanese-funded training later added wheels, glazes, and large kilns. Imported ceramics and garment-factory jobs now compete with the craft.
When should you go, and what will you see by season?
Visit in the dry months, about November to April, when roads stay firm and potters have time away from the paddies. Ask which stage you are watching, because clay dries faster in the dry-season sun. March–April runs hottest, at about 95°F (35°C).
| Condition | What it controls | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Season | The calendar and lane surface | Potters traditionally work in the dry season; wet-season lanes can turn muddy. |
| River | The Tonle Sap at the port | The river reverses its flow in the wet season, and the lake peaks in September–November. |
How do you buy pottery and visit a workshop with confidence?
Ask before you photograph or enter a home, watch the potter work, choose from the maker’s hands, and pack each piece carefully.
| Step | Habit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ask before photographing or stepping inside. | A pottery space is also a home; remove your shoes if invited in. |
| 2 | Watch the method. | Ask whether the paddle and anvil or a wheel shaped the piece. |
| 3 | Choose from the maker. | Buying direct supports the household; check for hairline cracks. |
| 4 | Pack for the road. | A cataloged stove-and-pot set needs about 20 × 14 in (51 × 36 cm). |
What should you plan for on the ride and in the village?
Plan for heat, uneven ground, a language gap, and small notes of cash.
| Item | Plan | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Heat | Wear light layers and a hat. | March–April reaches about 95°F (35°C). |
| Footing | Wear closed shoes with grip. | A clay yard can turn slick when wet. |
| Language | Ask your guide to translate. | The potters speak Khmer. |
| Cash | Carry small notes. | Small notes make a purchase easy to settle. |
What pairs with the pottery village on a Tonle Sap day?
Pair the pottery village with the silversmiths of Koh Chen or with the hill at Oudong.
| Place | What it adds | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Koh Chen | Silver and bronze made by hand: men hammer and women engrave. | A stop on the river road toward Phnom Penh. |
| Oudong | The former capital hill, with 509 steps. | A half-day stop. |
How can you visit Andong Russei on a Mekong river cruise?
A Mekong river cruise with Calypso Mekong reaches Andong Russei by water. The programme uses one power catamaran, 44 ft 1 in (13.44 m) long, with three cabins and up to six guests. It calls at Kampong Chhnang on the 8-, 11-, and 15-night sailings, in both directions, and visits Andong Russei on each call.
| Step | What happens | Your choice |
|---|---|---|
| Arrive | Outbound, the vessel arrives in late afternoon; on return it arrives mid-morning. | None |
| Visit | A tuk-tuk takes guests about 20 minutes to a potter’s household. The visit lasts about 1.5 hours outbound and 2.5 hours on return. | Guided visit or rest aboard |
| Sail on | Outbound, the vessel sails for the lake; on return it sails for Koh Chen and Phnom Penh. | Both |
For routes, seasons, and vessel choice, read the Mekong River Cruise Guide. The river cruise sails from about mid-August to December.
What else do readers ask about the pottery village?
What does Kampong Chhnang mean?
Kampong Chhnang means “port of pots”: chhnang is the Khmer word for a clay pot. The town sits on the Tonle Sap River, where the stream widens toward the lake.
Can you try making a pot in Andong Russei?
Yes, in some workshops, though not at every house. Ask your guide to arrange a short class before the visit.
Andong Russei or the Mang Thit brick kilns?
Andong Russei shapes household vessels by hand and fires them in the open; Mang Thit fires machine-shaped bricks in domed kilns. The crafts differ in product, fire, and scale.
Which crafts can you see along the Tonle Sap route?
The Tonle Sap route groups two crafts by material: clay shaped in the village lane at Andong Russei, and metal hammered and engraved on the river road at Koh Chen.
What does the port of pots keep alive in Andong Russei?
Andong Russei keeps two methods alive: the paddle and anvil that let a potter circle a still pot, and the wheel that speeds the work. Its braziers, jars, and figures still serve Cambodian homes. Each pot passes through three places: the hill that supplies the clay, the potter’s hands, and the fire.