A Tan Chau shore excursion lands you on the Tien River, in An Giang Province, and takes you to a family silk workshop. You watch weavers work Lanh My A, the black silk dyed with mac nua fruit and dried in the sun. A visit runs 60–90 minutes. The river gave the town its mulberry banks and its trade, and the sun finishes the cloth. Follow the cloth from fruit to sun to loom.
What happens on a Tan Chau shore excursion to the silk village?
A Tan Chau shore excursion lands you on the Tien River bank, takes you a short ride to a family silk workshop, and gives you 60–90 minutes to watch weavers at work, often with a walk through the town market. The silk village is a cluster of family workshops, not one site behind a gate.
| Step | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Land | You step ashore on the Tan Chau bank of the Tien River. |
| 2 | Ride | A xe loi or another vehicle takes you to the workshop, 5–15 minutes each way. |
| 3 | Watch | You see thread, loom, dye yard, and finished cloth. |
| 4 | Walk | Many programmes add the town market. |
| 5 | Return | You ride back and board again. |
Tan Chau lies on the Tien River near the Cambodian border, about 118–129 mi (190–208 km) north-west of Ho Chi Minh City. Since 2025, the old Tan Chau town has two wards, Tan Chau and Long Phu, and three communes. The old silk quarter of Long Hung lies in Long Phu ward.
What is Lanh My A, the black silk of Tan Chau?
Lanh My A (Lãnh Mỹ A) is jet-black silk made from 100 per cent natural silk, woven in satin-8 weave and dyed with the juice of mac nua fruit. It comes from Tan Chau, where makers call it the queen of silks. The name depends on three conditions.
| Condition | Rule | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre | 100 per cent natural silk | Ask about cocoon to thread. |
| Weave | Satin-8 on a wooden loom, one weaver per loom | Look for a weaver at a wooden loom. |
| Dye | Mac nua juice, dried in the sun; jet black only | Ask how many dye passes the cloth has had. |
Mulberry leaves feed silkworms, but the black comes from mac nua (Diospyros mollis), a different tree.
How many Tan Chau workshops still make Lanh My A?
Reports from 2017 and 2018 describe one family or “a few people” dyeing genuine Lanh My A. No source reviewed for this page counts the makers today.
| Year | Count | Kind of source |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 938 households recognised in the silk village; 243 working the trade directly | Provincial recognition |
| 2017 | One family still dyed Lanh My A | National daily |
| 2018 | “Only a few people” produced it | National English-language report |
How is Lanh My A made, from cocoon to black cloth?
Weavers reel thread from silkworm cocoons, weave it on a wooden loom, then dip the cloth in mac nua juice and dry it in the sun, repeating the dip 80–100 times until it turns jet black.
| Step | Stage | What happens | Figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raise | Mulberry leaves feed silkworms until they spin cocoons. | None |
| 2 | Reel | Weavers draw thread from the cocoons. | None |
| 3 | Weave | Satin-8 on a wooden loom, one weaver per loom. | None |
| 4 | Dip | Cloth soaks in crushed-fruit juice; weavers roll and beat it into the fibre. | 3–4 dips per session |
| 5 | Dry | Cloth lies on grass; the sun darkens the juice from green to black. | 80–100 passes |
| 6 | Finish | Weavers size and soften the cloth. | None |
The sun sets the pace. A 66 ft (20 m) bolt, 35 in (90 cm) wide, takes 176–220 lb (80–100 kg) of fruit. Sources quote 20 days to four months; this page uses about 45 days of sun-drying and up to two months of dyeing for a long run in dry weather.
Why does Lanh My A dry in the sun on grass, not in an oven?
The sun finishes the dye, so makers set the cloth out on grass and dip it again. Artificial heat does not give the same deep black. Sun-drying takes place from morning to noon, and each session gives 3–4 dips.
How did Tan Chau become a silk town?
Tan Chau became a silk town through sericulture on its river banks: households reared silkworms in the 19th century, most of Long Hung village lived by silk by 1920, and by the 1940s Tan Chau ranked as the largest silk centre of the south. The town itself formed in 1757.
The peak came in 1950–1960, when almost every house wove Lanh My A. By about 1960 the silk travelled to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
Why did Lanh My A almost disappear?
Synthetic cloth and a shrinking supply of mac nua fruit nearly ended Lanh My A. From the 1970s most families switched from pure silk to synthetics, and many mac nua trees were felled for food crops. A tree takes 3–5 years to bear fruit, few people plant it, and the juice must go on the cloth within one or two days of picking.
A French buyer revived orders in the 1990s, with exports to France and Hong Kong, and a Vietnamese designer showed the silk at Tokyo Fashion Week in 2016. Lanh My A still exists in small quantity.
When should you go, and what will you see by season?
Visit in dry weather, when sun-drying runs, and ask the workshop which stage the dyeing has reached. The dry season runs December–April, the wet season May–November, and March–April is hottest, about 95°F (35°C).
| Condition | What it controls | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Mac nua stock | Whether fruit juice is in use | The resin stays good for one or two days after picking; ask what is in season. |
| Sun and rain | Whether cloth dries on the grass | Prolonged rain slows the sun-drying that the dye needs. |
| Time of day | Which stage is on view | Sun-drying is usually from morning to noon. |
How do you buy silk and visit a workshop with confidence?
Ask three questions before you buy: is it 100 per cent natural silk, is it satin-8 woven, and was it dyed with mac nua. Ask permission before entering a work area or photographing a weaver.
| Step | Habit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ask the maker about fibre, weave, and dye. | Only cloth that meets all three is Lanh My A. |
| 2 | Ask how many dye passes the cloth has had. | 80–100 passes build the black. |
| 3 | Ask before entering a dye yard or photographing a weaver. | A workshop is a working space. |
| 4 | Carry small dong notes. | Small notes suit small purchases. |
Cream, grey, bronze, red, and pink silks come from plant dyes and are silks of good make. One maker reserves the name Lanh My A for jet black.
What should you plan for at a Tan Chau workshop?
Plan for heat, steady footing, sun and water, and small dong notes. Ask your guide about steps at the landing and at the workshop before you commit.
| Item | Plan | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Heat | Wear light, loose layers. | March–April reaches about 95°F (35°C). |
| Footing | Wear closed shoes with grip. | The visit joins a landing, a ride, and a walk. |
| Sun and water | Carry a hat and bottled water. | The visit lasts 60–90 minutes in a hot river town. |
| Cash | Carry small dong notes. | Small notes suit small purchases. |
What pairs with the silk village on a Mekong Delta day?
Pair the silk village with the town market, the Cham brocade village of Chau Phong across the Hau River from Chau Doc, or a sedge-mat workshop or floating fish farm.
| Place | What it adds | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Tan Chau market | Everyday trade in produce | The same visit |
| Chau Phong Cham village | Hand-woven brocade dyed with mac nua resin, bark, and fruit | A stop of about an hour |
| Sedge-mat workshop or floating fish farm | Other river trades | A short stop |
At the Mubarak mosque in Chau Phong, cover your shoulders and knees, and stay outside during prayer.
How can you visit the Tan Chau silk village on a Mekong river cruise?
The Calypso Mekong river cruise programme uses one power catamaran, 44 ft 1 in (13.44 m) long, with three cabins and up to six guests. It calls at Tan Chau on all three lengths—8, 11, and 15 nights—in both directions. The vessel sails by day and anchors each night, so the silk village fits an afternoon ashore.
| Step | What happens | Your choice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The vessel anchors at Tan Chau; guests ride 5–10 minutes from the Muong Mieu ferry pier. | Guided visit or rest aboard |
| 2 | The weaver tells the craft, the guide translates; the visit takes about 90 minutes. | Guided visit |
| 3 | A 15-minute briefing covers border papers before the next sailing. | Both options |
The route between Chau Doc and Tan Chau uses the Xang canal, a channel dredged in the French period that links the Tien and Hau rivers. For routes, seasons, and vessel choice, read the Mekong River Cruise Guide.
What else do readers ask about the Tan Chau silk village?
What is mac nua?
Mac nua is the fruit of Diospyros mollis, a tree of the ebony genus. Its juice dyes silk jet black and stays good for one or two days after picking. Few trees remain because many were felled for crops, and a tree takes 3–5 years to bear fruit.
What does a Tan Chau workshop sell?
Silk goods fall into four groups: cloth by the length, clothing, accessories such as scarves and ties, and small gifts such as hand fans.
Can you watch the black dyeing on every visit?
No. Dyeing depends on mac nua stock and dry weather, so a visit in rain or out of season can show looms and finished cloth with little dyeing. Ask which stage the cloth has reached.
Tan Chau silk village or Tra Su cajuput forest: which suits your outing?
Choose Tan Chau to watch a hand craft and learn the history of one cloth; choose Tra Su for a flooded cajuput forest by water.
What does the Tan Chau silk village show about the river it grew beside?
The Tien River gave Tan Chau its mulberry banks and its trade, and the sun finishes each length of Lanh My A. What remains depends on makers who still wait for the fruit and on visitors who ask what they are watching: the fruit, the sun, and the loom.