Brocade weaving is a cultural lifeblood for the Khmer community in the Bay Nui (seven-mountain) area of An Giang. Photo: VNA  

Nestled at the foot of the majestic That Son mountain range, Van Giao - the brocade weaving village of Khmer people in An Cu commune, An Giang province - is not only a repository of centuries-old cultural heritage but is also emerging as a model for heritage-based economic development.

Preserving the traditional craft is no longer merely an act of nostalgia, it has become a strategy for community-based tourism and sustainable livelihoods in the southwestern border region.

National soul woven into every loom

Brocade weaving has long been a cultural lifeblood for the Khmer community in the Bay Nui (seven-mountain) area of An Giang. Through the skillful hands of women in the Van Giao, naturally dyed threads are transformed into textiles that embody the community’s worldview and spiritual beliefs.

From traditional handicrafts, the village has gradually innovated and developed the collective brand “Silk Khmer.” Notably, its “sarong” products have been certified as three-star OCOP items and recognised as typical rural industrial products in the southern region in 2023, opening up opportunities to access international markets.

Neang Chanh Ty, head of the Van Giao Khmer brocade weaving cooperative, said her family has practised the craft for three generations. For local Khmer people, brocade weaving is not just a livelihood, but a centuries-old cultural symbol passed down through generations. In the past, nearly every household had a loom, with women weaving fabric to make clothes, scarves and sarongs for their families. However, over time, the influx of cheap industrial products has sharply reduced demand for traditional brocade.

Facing the risk of decline, Khmer brocade weaving in An Cu commune was gradually revived in 1998 with support from Australia’s CARE organisation and the provincial Women’s Union. In 2002, Van Giao Khmer brocade weaving cooperative was officially established, helping its products gain strong domestic and international market acceptance thanks to diverse designs, refined colours and intricate patterns. The cooperative now comprises 36 households with 63 members, including two artisans and two skilled craftsmen, mainly based in Sray Skoth and Mang Ro hamlets.

Notably, in 2006, Van Giao Brocade Silk was granted collective trademark protection by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam under the Ministry of Science and Technology. A year later, in 2007, the Van Giao brocade weaving craft was officially recognised by the provincial People’s Committee as a traditional industrial handicraft.

Neang Soc Kun, a resident of Sray Skoth hamlet, said that since the revival of brocade weaving, local women have gained a stable source of income during the agricultural off-season. On average, each weaver earns about 3–5 million VND (115.6 USD – 192.7 USD) per month, depending on skill level, design complexity, and output.

Products from the village are now available in many foreign markets, including Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, underscoring the strong vitality of the national heritage in the context of international integration.

Unlocking tourism potential of craft village

Nguyen Duy Phong, Chairman of the People’s Committee of An Cu commune, said Van Giao is both a custodian of cultural heritage and a growing engine of the local economy, with craft preservation helping protect national identity while creating sustainable livelihoods for residents.

By providing hands-on experiences, the village has become a magnet for visitors, driving demand for the finely crafted and one-of-a-kind handicrafts of the Khmer brocade weaving community.

To boost its profile, travel agencies have added the village to An Giang’s tourism routes. By connecting famous spots like Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain, Tra Su cajuput forest, and Cam Mountain tourist site with the craft village, they’ve created a vibrant and varied travel experience. Visitors can go beyond sightseeing to try brocade weaving, wear traditional ethnic clothing, learn about local customs, and buy brocade items as keepsakes. Phong shared that the communal authority plans to set up raw material areas, offer financial aid, provide vocational training, and ramp up promotion to make the village a standout tourism highlight of An Giang.

The locality will proactively coordinate with provincial departments and agencies to strengthen connectivity and promotion, expand markets for brocade products under the “Silk Khmer” brand of the village among domestic and international consumers and tourists, and develop sustainable tourism tours and routes linked to the craft village, he added./.