Bat Trang Brickworks
Bat Trang is an area north of Hanoi - Vietnam. The area is dotted with brickworks supplying the building needs of Hanoi and Northern Vietnam. Brick production is very old in asia, reaching back 4,000 years. I understand that there are 1,000 traditional brick kilns in Vietnam. Hanoi is pushing to close all of the traditional kilns due to the tremendous negative environmental impact. These kilns consume lots of low grade coal and produce plumes of smoke and toxic gas. The work is labour intensive and the women, as usual, do most of the heavier labour.