Walking the narrow wooden bridges leading to the commune's Cham village, visitors are invited by guides to visit Mohamad’s family in Phum Soai hamlet, well known as the preserver of Cham people’s traditional weaving craft.

The 66-year-old man warmly welcomes visitors. In his home, artisans can be seen diligently working with shuttles and yarn, weaving scarves and sarongs. Mohamad is proud of the history of the craft village, cultural features and lifestyle of the Cham ethnic minority people in An Giang.

“To create a beautiful piece of brocade, craftsmen have  many different steps, from soaking fibers, bleaching, patterning, dyeing, and washing, to drying and weaving. All of these things require meticulous care, precision, and high skills,” Mohamad explained.

The brocade products created by the Cham people in Chau Phong bear traditional typical patterns such as hammocks, shuttles, lanterns, squares, suns, flowers, and leaves that carry meanings related to nature, daily life, and customs of the community.

The two products most favored by travelers, especially foreigners, are sarongs and scarves. These products are reasonably priced, ranging from VND20,000 to 200,000 each.

Currently, Mohamad’s weaving establishment also produces items such as handbags to meet the needs of tourists. He has showcased his brocade products at many trade fairs and local tourism promotion events. Notably, he participated in two national Vietnamese Brocade Weaving Festivals in 2019 and 2020.

Mohamad not only preserves the traditional craft within his family, but also encourages villagers to continue weaving. There are 50 brocade products produced by local artisans to serve tourists.

He pioneered opening his weaving facility to visitors and collaborated with local chefs to serve Cham cuisine upon request. Over the years, his family has attracted many international tourists who love to take part in or observe cultural experiences.

In late 2023, "The Life Cycle Rituals of the Cham Islam" and "The Brocade Weaving Craft of the Cham in Chau Phong" were included on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Tan Chau town is focusing on developing the "Cham Community Cultural Tourism" model to implement Resolution 03 of the Town Party Executive Committee, dated July 28, 2021, for development in 2021-2025, with a vision towards 2030.

Recently, the Cham village in Chau Phong has established a community tourism cooperative with 12 members led by Mohamad. This cooperative aims to unite residents in developing local community tourism products, which are expected to contribute to preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the Cham community while offering sustainable economic benefits.

Hai Long