Khmer brocade weaving faces the challenge of passing on the craft.

The Van Giao Khmer Brocade Weaving Cooperative in An Cu commune is striving to maintain the traditional weaving craft of the Khmer people. Using familiar looms, artisans and young people are both preserving cultural identity and finding ways to develop products for modern life.

Ms. Neàng Chanh Đa Ty beside her brocade weaving loom. Photo: PHƯƠNG LAN

Colorful Village

We were greeted by Ms. Neàng Chanh Đa Ty (born in 1992) - Head of the Văn Giáo Khmer Brocade Weaving Cooperative. Despite her young age, she has been involved in her family's traditional craft for many years. Ms. Đa Ty shared: “My family has a four-generation tradition of brocade weaving. Since I was 10 years old, I have been involved in and helped my family with small tasks such as dyeing silk, boiling silk, and preparing the embroidery. The clacking sound of the loom has seeped into my blood and soul without me even realizing it.”

Her love for the craft motivated Neàng Chanh Đa Ty to find ways to bring Khmer brocade closer to the modern market. According to Ms. Đa Ty, the value of the product lies in its meticulous craftsmanship. To complete a brocade piece, the artisan must go through 17 stages, from selecting silkworms in Tân Châu, boiling, drying, dyeing with natural colors, to stenciling and weaving to completion.

If weaving patterns, the difficulty increases many times over because it requires precision and patience in every thread and stitch. A skilled artisan takes 3-4 days to complete a sarong; an average craftsman takes 7-10 days, while a novice may take a whole month. Therefore, each traditional brocade product costs between 2 and 3.5 million VND.

Sitting by her loom, Mrs. Neàng Sóc Ly (64 years old), a member of the Văn Giáo Khmer Brocade Weaving Cooperative, diligently weaves each thread back and forth. Having been with the cooperative for four years, she sees weaving as a supplementary source of income for her family. If she works diligently, she can weave about three brocade fabrics per month. After deducting material costs, she earns nearly 4.5 million VND. “Weaving brocade helps me earn some extra money to support my children and grandchildren. However, we are also quite sad because young people in the area are not very interested in this traditional craft anymore!” Mrs. Sóc Ly said.

Keeping the flame of traditional crafts alive.

Despite its unique cultural value, Khmer brocade weaving still faces many challenges, especially the issue of inheriting the craft and finding markets for its products. Neàng Chanh Ty (born in 1983), residing in An Cư commune, is an artisan and also serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Văn Giáo Khmer Brocade Weaving Cooperative. She has been involved in the craft for 27 years. Having learned the craft from her mother since the age of 16, she was recognized as a brocade weaving artisan around 2015.

According to Ms. Chanh Ty, the entire commune currently has only about 4 artisans who weave brocade. The cooperative has 63 members, but most are over 40 years old, many are over 60, even 70 years old. This is a major concern for the future survival of the craft.

Besides directly producing the fabric, Ms. Chanh Ty also participates in passing on her skills to the younger generation. To date, she has taught nearly 20 classes in brocade weaving, funded by the government. Each year, there is about one training class with approximately 30 students participating. To master the craft, students must undergo about 4 months of continuous study. From basic steps such as processing silk, setting up the frame, and weaving the base, to the most difficult technique of creating traditional Khmer patterns, all require perseverance and meticulousness. "All 17 steps in weaving a brocade fabric are equally elaborate and important," Ms. Chanh Ty said.

Besides preserving the craft, the Van Giao Khmer Brocade Weaving Cooperative is proactively seeking ways to expand its market. Currently, in addition to serving tourists visiting and experiencing the craft village, the products are also sold in many neighboring localities such as An Cu commune and Chau Doc ward. The cooperative regularly participates in trade fairs and exhibitions inside and outside the province to promote its products. At the same time, it is boosting sales on digital platforms such as Zalo, Facebook, and TikTok to reach customers in many localities. These efforts not only contribute to creating outlets for the products but also open up opportunities for the Khmer brocade weaving craft to adapt to modern consumer trends.

PHUONG LAN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/tho-cam-khmer-truoc-bai-toan-truyen-nghe-a487750.html