Over the centuries, Van Phuc silk, made using traditional hand-weaving and hand-dyeing techniques, has captured the loyalties of customers across the country.

A silk shop in VanPhuc Village

According to Chinh, the traditional dyeing methods used by local producers, using natural materials such as leaves, bark or tubers, have been combined with modern methods that make use of chemical dyes to result in the production of silk that is not colour-fast. This forced the artisans to seek a more effective method of dyeing silk.

Tapping into his life-time of experience in silk-making, coupled with the passion for the craft that has held strong since he was young, Chinh began experimenting at producing fade-proof silk in 2002.

Chinh made use of dyeing methods designed for different types of cloth and applied them to the process of silk making. The journey was difficult. Even though he is a master of his craft, he noted “unlike material production, every step, even a small one, has the potential to ruin the whole silk production process.”

After five years of painstaking research, all of his hard work and attention to detail finally paid off. Chinh’s product was tested and certified by the Viet Nam Textile Industrial Institute as possessing the highest possible degree of colour-fastness.

Encouraged by a boom in silk production and the increasing demands of customers, who prefer a high-quality silk, Chinh started producing fade-proof silk in mid-2007. The old artisan could not believe the sheer number of customers who immediately flocked to buy his product.

His first trial batch, 500m of fade-proof silk sold out as soon as it was produced in late 2007. The master artisan now finds it difficult to keep on top of the influx of orders for his beautiful, richly-hued silk.

“I used to complain to the silk producers about the quality of their silk. It faded so easily after being washed several times. But now, look at this fadeproof piece of silk. It is wonderful,” said Hoang Linh, a customer from Ha Noi, showing off a bright piece of silk.

Kate Briel, a fan of Van Phuc silk from the Netherlands, couldn’t agree more. “I have lived in Viet Nam for four years and often come to Van Phuc village every few months to buy many kinds of silk products, from material to ready-to-wear clothes,” said Briel. “One of my Vietnamese friends told me about the fade-proof silk produced by an artisan in Van Phuc. I tried a piece and it was just amazing.”

Chinh was awarded second prize at the Fourth National Outstanding Craft Products Competition, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2007, and bagged a consolation prize at the Ninth Technical Innovation Contest, held by the Ha Tay provincial Science and Technology Department the same year.

In an effort to develop this new direction in silk production, Chinh plans to launch a training course for local workers, who can learn how to produce fade-proof silk and receive help in raising the capital to help them improve their weaving and dying techniques and upgrade their looms.

With its qualities, Van Phuc silk gradually gained popularity among silk enthusiasts, both inside and outside the country. These days, local producers often receive orders at their workshops or via phone and fax.

He has encouraged local producers to attend trade fairs and exhibitions, both at home and abroad, to spread the word regarding the village’s traditional craft. The practice has attracted interest from customers in many countries, including France , Germany , Indonesia , Japan , the UK and the US .

In response to the ever-changing demands and tastes of customers, Chinh said that local producers have invested in new techniques for dyeing and thermo-processing the threads in order to diversify the range of silk products, and branch out into silk clothing, handbags, lanterns and embroidered pictures.

As the head of the village’s craft association, he urged local producers to make the quality of their products, rather than profits, their priority as, for him, “silk making is now not just a way of earning a buck, it has become a cornerstone of Vietnamese culture.”

According to Chinh, the number of households that practice the craft in Van Phuc now stands at more than 600. There are currently 700 looms in the village and the craft provides a livelihood for more than 1,200 local workers.

Each household produces between 13,000-14,000m of silk every year. In 2007, the village earned 35 billion VND from the silk trade.

To improve the quality of Van Phuc silk and preserve the traditional craft, Chinh registered a trademark for the village and was certified by the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam in 2005.

In recognition of Chinh’s outstanding commitment and contribution to the preservation and development of the craft, the Indochina Arts Partnership, in collaboration with the Vietnam Fine Arts Association and the Viet Nam Co-operative Alliance presented him with the Golden Hand Award in 2007.

VietNamNet/VNA