Restoration and preservation of Tan Chau silk in An Giang

Journal of Science – 2015, Vol. 1 (1), 26 – 31 Part A: Social Sciences, Humanities and Education

26

RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION OF TAN CHAU SILK IN AN GIANG

Nguyen Van Luom1

, Tran Thanh Thao Uyen1

1Dong Thap University, Vietnam

Information:

Received: 10/07/2015

Accepted: 12/09/2015

Published: 19/9/2015

Keywords:

Tan Chau silk, silk making

in Tan Chau, Lanh My A silk

in An Giang Province

ABSTRACT

Tan Chau, An Giang is famous for its silk products because there is a feature that

only its artisans and regional silk can create. However, these weaving and silk

products have been forgotten. Within the scope of the article, we try to find the

great success and development, thereby offering solutions to conserve Tan

Chau’s silk weaving.

1. INTRODUCTION

The information about the period of Tan Chau silk

became a famous brand is unclear. There are

names such as Cam Tu Tron and Lanh My A that

are deep in human hearts. Formerly, Tan Chau

silk meant “luxurious silk” and the most noble

were the beauty of "bộ bà ba" in the South. Over

time Tan Chau silk has been gradually forgotten.

The perception of silk has changed with a new

market and the weaver has been almost forgotten

as Lanh weaving changed to nylon and brocade.

This is a pity for a silk community with a long

history. The problem now is how to restore and

preserve such precious silk - precious for both

material values and cultural specificity.

2. DISCUSSION

2.1 The silk in Tan Chau

In the late nineteenth century, the weavers

produced smooth silk called "Cam Tu Tron", but

mainly served the needs of local demand. When

the French invaded the South of Vietnam, the

colonial government undertook many practical

surveys to understand the real situation of silk in

the South with the aim of serving the economic

interest of France in Indochina. When the French

surveyed the silk in Tan Chau, they realized that

mulberry fields were planted in the villages.

Though the area was only 591 ha (in 1904), it was

still very large in comparison with other

neighboring provinces such as Ben Tre and Can

Tho. The colonial government assessed the

potential in Tan Chau and determined that it was

an important material for the textile industry in

France.

France planned to promote the development of

native silk by investing in the study of cultivars,

propagation, and cultivar distribution. Therefore,

in the early twentieth century, the French found a

convenient place to build a Silk Institute in

Southern Vietnam (like the Phu Lang Thuong Silk

Institute which France did in the North)

In 1909, Mr. Bui Quang Chieu, the Director of the

Southern Agricultural Department, founded Hang

Tam Tren. This agency was established with the

aim of supporting silkworm breeding and

expanding mulberry growing, selecting good

mulberry trees, and popularizing how to plant and

take care of mulberry to assist farmers to cultivate