Back Arts & Culture » Culture » Artisan Phan Thi Thuan and the Skill of Weaving Silk From Lotus Stems

Artisan Phan Thi Thuan and the Skill of Weaving Silk From Lotus Stems

As gentle as smoke, as strong as fire – lotus silk provides an alternative to silkworms that could revolutionize silk production in Vietnam.

VietnamNet shares the story of a building beside the Day River, just 50 kilometers from Hanoi, thousands of silkworms busily secrete a clear, fibrous protein which is harvested to make silk. Beside them, however, lies something many may think has no earthly purpose in a silk-making workshop – hundreds of lotus flowers and the stems that hold them.

Phan Thi Thuan, the owner of the workshop, has 40 years of experience in the industry – primarily using the centuries-old method of turning the fibre released by silkworms and weaving it into blankets, scarves and dresses.

In 2017, however, she completely adjusted her methods. By cutting the stems of lotus plants and extracting the cellulose threads from within, she is able to weave them together and create a unique form of silk, one which is known for its durability as much as its floral scent.

“The idea was actually proposed to me by Tran Thi Quoc Khanh, a member of the National Assembly representing Hanoi,” Thuan told Vietnam News.

Khanh, along with other scientists from the Hanoi-based Institute for Ecological Economics, initiated a national project encouraging silk producers to create silk from lotus plants. The idea was to make use of a sustainable, petroleum-free and biodegradable material that is abundantly available across Vietnam.

Thuan’s village, for example, features numerous lakes and ponds, all of which are brimming with lotus flowers. Over the last year, she’s gradually been learning how best to extract the thread from the stems. The most mature plants, she says, produce the strongest threads.

“Depending on its thickness, a scarf made from ‘lotus silk’ requires at least 1,500 stems” she told Vietnam Net.

As so many stems are necessary, production can be labor-intensive and costly. To address this, Thuan hopes to create silk using a fusion of the two materials, which should result in more affordable and sustainable products, and might even create a more eco-friendly fashion market.

“I hope," she added, "that designers will think about using ’lotus silk’ in high fashion products other than just plain clothes."

[Photo via Vietnam Net/Hong Van]


Related Articles:

[Photos] In Tho Ha Village, Locals Work From Dawn to Create Rice Paper

Ha Giang Artisan Brings Mong Flax Brocade to International Markets

[Video] Mini-Documentary Weaves Visual Portrait of Ta Oi Artisan


Related Articles

in Culture

10 Incredible Photos Of Life On Hanoi's Train Tracks

Traffic in Vietnam is crazy but the train tracks that skirt through Hanoi’s residential areas reach levels of insanity.

in Culture

10 Photos Of The Amazing Vietnamese Spider-Men

While some Vietnamese cities have begun to move their tangled nests of electricity wires underground, they are still a ubiquitous feature of many urban neighborhoods.

in Culture

12 Of Saigon’s Best Parks And Open Spaces – Part 1

Though Saigon has lost quite a bit of its verdant luster over the years, there are still patches of green throughout the city that are worth checking out. Vietnam Coracle has made a handy guide to som...

in Culture

12 Of Saigon’s Best Parks And Open Spaces – Part 2

Though Saigon has lost quite a bit of its verdant luster over the years, there are still patches of green throughout the city that are worth checking out.Vietnam Coraclehas made a handy guide to some ...

in Culture

14 Incredible Satellite Photos Of Vietnam

There are plenty of hi-tech ways to show Vietnam’s beauty – time lapses and drone panoramas to name a few. But a less common vantage point is from above. Way above.

in Culture

15 Amazing Moments Captured On Vietnam’s Streets

In Vietnamese cities, streets are where life happens. With few parks available to the country’s urban masses, they serve as everything from entertainment venues to wedding halls to restaurants. They a...

Partner Content