(VOVWORLD) - Neang Chanh Ty, an ethnic Khmer artisan from Sray Skoth hamlet in An Giang province, is widely recognized for her mastery of brocade weaving and her significant contributions to preserving and developing the traditional craft. She also helps local products achieve OCOP recognition under the One Commune One Product Program.
 Artisan Neang Chanh Ty introduces products of the Van Giao Khmer Brocade Weaving Cooperative. (Photo: Ngoc Anh/VOV5) |
Neang Chanh Ty was born in 1983 into a family that has been engaged in brocade weaving for four generations. Ty said Khmer brocade is distinguished by its elaborate, finely detailed patterns, which reflect deep-rooted spiritual and cultural values through motifs such as pagodas, flowers, leaves, and images of the Buddha.
Another defining feature is its traditional dyeing technique using natural materials, which gives the silk a smooth, lustrous, elegant quality, helps resist fraying and pilling, and makes the silk more durable.
Ty has helped to preserve traditional brocade weaving by safeguarding age-old techniques while continually innovating her products. She blends traditional motifs with modern accessories and dyes, skillfully adapting classic patterns into contemporary handbags, wallets, and jackets.
One of her most notable innovations is combining natural dyes with modern cotton fibers, which shortens production time while preserving the distinctive identity of Khmer brocade. Because of her expertise, Ty was selected by local authorities to train and mentor others.
 A little girl learns the Khmer brocade weaving craft from her mother. (Photo: Ngoc Anh/VOV5) |
“Local people come to my house to learn the craft. The weaving has 17 stages of which the most difficult are pattern creation, dyeing silk, and fluffing cotton. Only two people in our hamlet know how to do all those things. I hope the State will open more classes so people can master the craft and preserve our ethnic tradition,” said Ty.
Trainee Neang Soc Kun said Ty explains things clearly and makes the lessons easy to follow. “The training is free, and anyone is welcome to join. She is kind, talented, sociable, and always ready to help.”
To promote her family’s craft, Ty has developed a wide range of woven products. She participates in fairs and exhibitions to promote Khmer brocade products, and links weaving with tourism by letting visitors try their hand at weaving.
“Ty helps young Khmer people understand that brocade weaving can provide a livelihood and foster pride in their ethnic identity. As highly skilled artisans are now very few, the commune encourages them to pass on their techniques and the village’s distinctive patterns and motifs to the younger generation,” Nguyen Duy Phong, Chairman of the People’s Committee of An Cu commune, said.
 Nguyen Duy Phong, Chairman of the An Cu Commune People’s Committee. (Photo: VOV) |
Ty and several others founded the Van Giao Khmer Brocade Weaving Cooperative in 2000. In 2023, their brocade sarong was awarded a 3-star rating under the national OCOP program. Today, Van Giao Khmer brocade products, marketed under the brand name “Silk Khmer”, are sold nationwide and exported to Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
“Artisan Neang Chanh Ty is very skilled and weaves beautiful fabric. She can make whatever design customers request. She’s the most skilled weaver in the hamlet. A gentle, dedicated teacher, she currently has about 30 trainees,” Neang Chanh Da Ty, Head of the Van Giao Khmer Brocade Weaving Cooperative, said.
Every piece of brocade made by Neang Chanh Ty represents the cultural identity of the Khmer people. She has been honored with certificates of merit at the provincial, communal, and hamlet level.