For over 500 years, Ma Chau Village, also called "Tam Tang Silk Village", in Nam Phuoc Town, Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam Province has been famous both at home and abroad for silk weaving.

Legend has it that during a visit to the area of Ma Chau in Quang Nam Province, King Nguyen Phuoc Lan (1601- 1648) came and fell in love with Doan Thi Ngoc, a girl growing mulberries, raising silkworms and weaving silk. She then became the king’s wife and was granted the title of Doan Imperial Concubine.

She encouraged the people who lived in the Quang Nam area, including Dien Ban, Thanh Binh and Duy Xuyen, to develop the trade of growing mulberries, raising silkworms and weaving silk.

Thanks to her great efforts, the trade flourished in the villages along the Thu Bon River. Today, in March of the lunar calendar, local people in Quang Nam Province organize a festival in commemoration of her contribution to the development of the traditional trade.

Among traditional silk weaving villages in Quang Nam, Ma Chau is the most famous and no one knows exactly when the village got its other name, “Tam Tang”.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the villagers produced many kinds of satin, brocade and silk, which were bought and exported by foreign merchants to Western European countries and the Far East region via the Hoi An Trading Port.

Visiting the village today, one will see the bustling life in the silk weaving workshops.

Each month, the village produces about 10,000m2 of silk of different kinds to provide to garment factories and souvenir production workshops with a price of around VND 500,000/m2.

Due to the high quality, softness and the seduction of natural silk, the products are also exported to many countries worldwide, including Hungary and Russia.

Over the years, the brand name of Tam Tang silk has been preserved and developed well. To further promote the trade, a tourism area with a number of shops selling and displaying Tam Tang silk products was established in the ancient town of Hoi An. These products really fascinate both domestic and foreign visitors to Hoi An. 

 

 

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For over 500 years, Ma Chau village has been well known for business of raising silkworms and weaving silk.

 

 

 

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Silkworms eat mulberry leaves.

 

 

 

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Boiling silkworm cocoons.

 

 

 

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Silks are slight and firm like spider's thread.

 

 

 

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Silk cord is  very thin and smooth but quite firm after being reeled.

 

 

 

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Ma Chau villagers weave high class silk form natural silk cord.

 

 

 

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A silk workshop in Ma Chau.

 

 

 

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Golden thread made from Ma Chau silk cord. 

 

 

 

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Silk products made by Ma Chau villagers.

 

 

 

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Foreign tourists are interested in the process of pulling silk cord from silkworm cocoons.

 

 

 

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A female foreign tourist is attracted by Tam Tang's silk.

 

Source: VNP