Tan Chau famous silk in the Mekong Delta - Lanh My A

Home of mysterious fine black silk

Tam Lang's jacquard looms in Tan Chau,
South Vietnam

Tien, our guide, did find the Tam Lang weaving workshop in the backstreets of Tan Chau. 

I had read that he was the last weaver producing the prized black vervetty silk requiring a lengthy traditional process. 

See Saigon Daily story here on the history of Tan Chau's vibrant silk activities, decline then revival of traditional techniques. This led the famous silk to the catwalks!

Tam Lang wearing black silk

Black dye with Ma Nua fruits
in the Mekong delta

Tan Chau developped a reputation for fine and deep black silk. They dyed the fqbric with the fruit of the Mặc Nưa, or Diospyros mollis Grill. You need to prepare a dye bath with the fruit, dye the fabric then dry it in the sun each day for 45 days in order to get a vrey dark black shade.







Tan Chau est connu pour sa teinture noire, très noire, obtenue a partir des fruits du Mặc Nưa, au nom latin Diospyros mollis Grill. Il faut teindre le tissu dans un bain de fruits broyés puis le faire sécher au soleil et recommencer 45 fois, soit pendant 45 jours avant d'obtenir ce noir profond. 

I enquired if we could watch them dye, but the person in the workshop said they were not ready and didn't have enough fabric to start the dyeing process.

Just like in the story, I admired the beautifully soft and shiny silk fabric and asked if they only produced it in black... History repeats itself. The same comment from a French lady years back, motivated Tam Lang’s son Nguyen Huu Tri to travel around the region and collect recipes for natural dyes in different colours!

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