Pottery in Vigan: A Guide to Burnay Jar Making

Burnay is Vigan’s centuries-old pottery tradition that’s still very much alive today.

I visited both pottery workshops in town, and at one of them, I got to see the whole process up close, and the owner even gave me a tour and answered my questions.

If you’re curious about pottery in Vigan, how these iconic jars are made, and where to see them for yourself, here’s everything I learned.

Burnay is Vigan’s traditional pottery, and the word covers both the process and the jars themselves.

It’s a craft that goes back to Chinese settlers who arrived generations ago and brought the technique with them.

The whole thing is done by hand and by foot. Potters spin the wheel using their feet while shaping the clay with their hands, without machines or shortcuts.

What comes out is a sturdy, reddish-brown jar. But burnay expanded past jars, too. You’ll find planters, incense holders, and other pieces made the same traditional way!

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Long before the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, around the 1500s, Chinese traders and settlers had already made their way to Vigan. They were drawn by the area’s high-quality clay. 

They brought their pottery techniques with them, and that’s where burnay began.

The industry we see today really took shape around the 1890s, when a Chinese settler named Pedro Go set up one of the city’s first jar factories.

His relatives followed not long after, including Ramon Go, whose family factory is still running today as RG Jar Factory.

Back then, burnay jars were incredibly practical, used to ship local goods to China and other parts of Asia. 

Ilocanos also relied on them for cooking, storage, fermenting food like fish sauce, vinegar, and wine, and even as coffins.

Today, artisans also produce decorative planters, vases, incense holders, and other pieces alongside the traditional storage jars.

Pagburnayan is the neighborhood where Vigan’s burnay tradition lives. The name was literally derived from the word “burnay” itself.

Walking through the neighborhood, you’ll pass open-air workshops where artisans shape clay by hand, stacks of finished jars waiting to be fired, and kilns that have been used for generations.

Two names come up the most here: RG Jar Factory and Ruby Jar Factory. Both sit right across the street from each other. This means you can easily hit both in one stop!

RG Jar Factory

RG Jar Factory gets its name from the initials of its founder, Ramon Go, a Filipino-Chinese potter. It’s the first jar factory I visited, and it’s the one I’d recommend if you want a genuinely enriching experience.

The factory is co-owned by the eldest living generation of siblings and sits right behind their family home.

On my first visit 8 years ago, I felt instantly welcomed, even though I showed up just 30 minutes before closing. 

My last visit (May 2026) was different. The place was packed with tourists that morning, and it took asking around a few times before I found someone free to talk, Ms. Preciosa, the eldest of the oldest living generation. She more than made up for it, welcoming me with so much warmth.

She walked me through the entire factory while sharing the family’s history, the process of pagburnay, and the range of products they make.

What surprised me most was the kiln. It’s massive, big enough that you’d mistake it for the back of a dragon because of its scaly appearance, not to mention it holds heat for hours after firing.

Ms. Preciosa also showed me jars made by older generations of the family.

Ruby Jar Factory

Ruby Jar Factory sits just across from RG’s, but when I visited, it looked pretty much closed down. Their master potter, Fidel Antiporda Go, a National Folk Artist, had passed away, and it shows.

Once you’re inside RG Jar Factory, you’ll get to see the entire workshop and materials, browse the finished pieces on display, watch the artisans work the clay in real time, and if you’re up for it, try your hand at the wheel yourself.

An instructor will walk through wedging the clay, centering it on the wheel, and slowly shaping it into form. Every step took way more focus and control than I expected. It’s a lot harder than it looks.

Up front, there’s also a small store selling souvenirs and other burnay trinkets, in case you want to bring a piece home.

Here’s how burnay jars come together, according to Ms. Preciosa.

1. Digging up the clay – It all starts with sourcing and digging up the clay itself.

2. Soaking and mixing – The clay gets soaked in a huge container along with fine river sand and water.

3. Kneading (the fun part) – This is where their trained pet carabao (Philippine water buffalo, the country’s national animal), Kevin, comes in. Kevin steps and walks on the clay for hours to refine and knead it.

4. Resting the clay – The mixture is then left sitting for at least a day so it reaches the right consistency and loses any excess moisture.

5. Shaping on the wheel – Artisans shape the clay using a potter’s wheel, a revolving table operated entirely by foot. They sit on a wooden seat, spinning the wheel with their feet while shaping the clay with their hands at the same time.

6. Drying – Once molded, the piece needs to dry, and depending on its size, that can take a while. A regular-sized jar takes about a week.

7. Firing in the kiln – Once it’s dry and intact, it goes into a kiln for firing, using wood from ipil-ipil or madre de cacao trees. Keeping the kiln’s temperature high is crucial here. If it dips too low, the jar can end up deformed. Firing alone takes 12 to 24 hours.

There’s a lot to choose from here. Traditional pieces like storage jars, water jars, and wine jars run anywhere from P200 for the small ones to P5,000+ for the bigger jars. 

If you’re after something more decorative, plant vases, incense holders, and other artsy pieces are more wallet-friendly, usually at P50 – P1,000.

They also sell non-jar souvenirs like mats and keychains, in case you want something to bring home that won’t break or take up half your luggage!

From Calle Crisologo, just hop on a tricycle or kalesa. Drivers know exactly where Pagburnayan is, so you won’t need to give directions. A one-way tricycle ride costs around ~P50, while a round-trip kalesa fare runs about ~P200.

If you’re coming from Laoag, this city tour covers both Vigan in Ilocos Sur and Juan Luna in Ilocos Norte. It’s worth checking out if you’re combining the two.

Here are some tips to help you make the most of your visit:

• Go in the morning. I went at 9-10 AM on a Friday, and while there were tourists around, it was also when the factory was busiest, with artisans actively working on their pieces.
• Support the workshop by buying something, even if it’s just a small burnay keychain.
• Try your hand at pottery while you’re there. Pottery itself isn’t a unique experience, but burnay definitely is! 
• Go knowing this craft might not be around forever. Pagburnayan’s last remaining pot makers may not have anyone to pass it down to, which makes visiting now feel a little more special.
• These shops don’t charge entrance fees, but donations are appreciated, especially if you’re trying the pottery wheel yourself.
• Combine both jar factories into one stop. They’re literally across the street from each other.
• Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dusty or muddy.

What is the traditional pottery from Vigan called? 

It’s called burnay, a craft that covers both the pottery-making process and the jars themselves. The tradition was brought over by Chinese settlers, and it’s still practiced the same way today in Vigan’s Pagburnayan district.

What are the famous jars of Ilocos? 

Those are burnay jars, sturdy and reddish-brown, traditionally used by Ilocano households to store water and ferment food, serving as a natural way to preserve food and liquids before refrigeration.

What is the history of RG Jar Factory? 

RG Jar Factory was named after the initials of its founder, Ramon Go, a Filipino-Chinese potter who started the workshop in Vigan’s Pagburnayan district.

It’s now run by the eldest living generation of his family, still using the same traditional techniques passed down over the years.

The factory sits right behind their family home, and visitors can watch the pottery-making process up close or even try it themselves.

Is there an entrance fee for Vigan pottery? 

Nope, these workshops don’t charge an entrance fee. That said, donations are appreciated, especially if you plan on trying the pottery wheel yourself.

Pottery in Vigan is one of the city’s oldest living traditions, kept alive today by only a handful of artisans.

Watching burnay artisans work and trying the wheel myself made this one of my favorite attractions in Vigan, especially as an arts and crafts lover.

If you’re already planning your trip, squeeze this into your Vigan itinerary. 

Bring cash for donations, wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, and give yourself enough time to actually try the wheel!

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About the Author

Hi! I’m Ellie, a matcha lover, creative, and one of the writers behind Philippines Hidden Gems. I travel to document joys: sights that leave you in awe, a patch of nature that asks for nothing, a meal that surprises you, a new restaurant or cafe worth lingering in, and museums and galleries that slow you down. The Philippines has no shortage of these, and I have a particular soft spot for its culinary scene, local businesses, and the stories behind them!