Tan Chau Silk Making Village

Published:  10:43 Saturday - April 21, 2012 Tan Chau silk has its fame because of the softness, toughness, long-wearing and high absorbability of natural silk material. All clothes made from Tan Chau silk bring to people comfort, coolness in summer, warmness in winter. Tan Chau silk is deserved to be called “Queen” of silk.

Not only for legends and remains, Tan Chau silk village in An Giang is also famous for the brilliant past of a special craft village.

Tan Chau silk has its fame because of the softness, toughness, long-wearing and high absorbability of natural silk material. All clothes made from Tan Chau silk bring to people comfort, coolness in summer, warmness in winter. Tan Chau silk is deserved to be called “Queen” of silk.

Tan Chau Silk Making Village

Tan Chau silk is deserved to be called “Queen” of silk.

Actually, materials for making Tan Chau silk are all produced by local people themselves. They grow shrubbery feeding silkworm to generate silk, plant mac nua (D. mollis) tree to take its fruit making dye. To make a unit of Tan Chau silk, the makers must spend many time and labor in many different parts of process. Firstly in silk choosing part, the maker must select the good type of silk to squeeze, seize on the loom then put on the weaving pattern. After finishing weaving, weaver starts the part of making dye. The big and young mac nua fruits are selected (the ripe ones are not suitable because of not having resin), kneaded well in mortar or in crushing machine and then dissolved in water, creating a nice yellow liquid which will turn into black when meeting the air and temperature. This liquid is filtered to leave the residue and used for dying.

Tan Chau Silk Making Village

Mac nua (D. mollis) fruit to make the dye

The part of dying silk is considered the most important and most elaborate one in the whole process which includes a hundred times of soaking silk in dye to ensure that each silk thread absorbs equally After each soaking time, people have to use their hands carefully squeezing silk then hang it out. When drying, they must choose the suitable sunny days in order to dry silk 4 units of sunlight per day. If being hang out in rain or light sunshine, the quality of silk will decrease. After about 40-45 days of dying and drying, the product is taken in new process becoming beautiful clothes which make people to contemplate and to praise because of their brilliant beauty.

Because of the long time and much labor for making Tan Chau silk, its price is very high. In about 60s -70s of 20th century, this kind of product was not suitable for daily needs of people then slowly came to disappearance. The internal market refused it due to its expensiveness while color was the reason for the refusal of external market.

Tan Chau Silk Making Village

Makers have found other dying technique to generate different colors

However, for recent years, due to the common direction of development and fashion trend leading to high quality products which express cultural features, the brand of Tan Chau silk begins to be restored and returned into deserved position.  Besides the traditional black color of natural dye from mac nua fruit, Tan Chau silk makers have found other dying technique to generate different colors, meeting the customer’s requirements which are more various day by day. This is a valuable chance for a famous craft village, which has been down for a long time, to restore its thriving past.

Translated by Vu Thuy Duong

Source: tourdulichtrongnuoc.dulichvietnam.com.vn

Song Than Vermicelli Making Village in An Thai

Song Than Vermicelli Making Village in An Thai

Besides martial tradition, An Thai (Nhon Phuc - An Nhon) is also famous of a special noodle that is song...
Doi Tam drums - the culture of craft village

Doi Tam drums - the culture of craft village

Coming to Doi Tam, visitors will see big drums placed in front of each house in the village and hear...
Phuoc Kieu bronze casting craft village in Quang Nam

Phuoc Kieu bronze casting craft village in Quang Nam

With more than 400 year-old history, Phuoc Kieu Bronze casting village (Dien Phuong commune, Dien Ban district) is one of...
Brocade Weaving - Occupation Of Cotu people

Brocade Weaving - Occupation Of Cotu people

Although it has not developed as many different craff villages yet but brocade weaving occupation had become the traditional village...
Laterite-Making Craft in Thach That

Laterite-Making Craft in Thach That

Those who visit Thach That District will never forget the images of houses, village gates, wells and walls built with...
Ninh Binh beautifies Vietnam not only with potential tourist attractions but also with stone carving

Ninh Binh beautifies Vietnam not only with potential tourist attractions but also with stone carving

Craftsmen in Ninh Van commune work hard to create stone products with skilfull hands to beautify the country.
Bao Dap traditional village making star-shaped lanterns

Bao Dap traditional village making star-shaped lanterns

Everytime when Mid-Autumn coming up, Bao Dap traditional village in Nam Dinh province is busy again with their trade of...
Pottery village in Vinh Long

Pottery village in Vinh Long

Vinh Long ceramics are popular not only due to their elegant shapes but also by their distinguished color of pink...
Nga Son in sedge season

Nga Son in sedge season

Being well-known for beautiful sedge mat for centuries, Nga Son (Thanh Hoa, Vietnam) is always bustling in harvest season: the...
Dinh Yen mat craft village

Dinh Yen mat craft village

Dinh Yen Mat craft village is located around 33 kms from Sa Dec Town of Dong Thap province. This is...
Quan Ganh village serves best "Banh Day" - Glutinous rice cake

Quan Ganh village serves best "Banh Day" - Glutinous rice cake

Quan Ganh Village is famous for its traditional cake called "Banh day", a delicious treat of glutinous rice cand green...
Phu Yen's unforgettable vegetable village

Phu Yen's unforgettable vegetable village

Ngoc Lang is known as a peaceful village with vegetable fields that are as green as jade stones.
We appreciate your comments. Should you have any feedback or thoughts on how to improve VIETNAMTOURISM.ORG.VN , please contact us at: info@vietnamtourism.org.vn
Việt nam tourism Chuyên cung cấp website du lịch và dich vụ tour du lịch VIETNAMTOURISM.ORG.VN Xếp hạng 9.5/10 4999 Bình chọn