Songket Weaving

Songket is silk or cotton cloth woven with extra weft threads of gold or silver, so that the pattern floats on the surface rather than sitting in the weave. It has been made on the east coast of the peninsula for centuries, worn at weddings, court occasions and formal events, and the motifs carry names drawn from plants, food and everyday objects. Weaving is done on a floor loom with the design lifted by a set of pattern sticks prepared in advance, and a single ceremonial length can take weeks of work. Workshops around Kuala Terengganu and in Kelantan admit visitors to watch, and several combine weaving with dyeing and with the sale of finished cloth. UNESCO added songket to its intangible heritage list in 2021.

What you actually see

• The floor looms - weavers lifting gold weft threads through the warp by hand.
• The pattern sticks - the prepared sequence that holds the design before weaving begins.
• The finished cloth - sarong lengths and shoulder pieces in the classic motifs.
• The workshop yards - thread winding, dyeing and the sale rooms attached to the sheds.

When to go

Weekday mornings, when weavers are actually at the looms; many workshops wind down in the afternoon and some close on Friday. Kuala Terengganu is easiest between March and September, before the north-east monsoon. Ask before photographing individual weavers. Craft complexes near the city combine songket with batik and brassware in one stop.

Honest expectations

Much of what is sold as songket in tourist shops is machine made with synthetic thread, and telling that from handwoven work takes explanation you may not get. Genuine handwoven cloth is expensive, running into hundreds of ringgit and far more for ceremonial pieces. Workshops are hot, small sheds and a demonstration lasts minutes. Some larger craft centres are more shop than workshop.

Nearby

The Terengganu state museum, the Pulau Duyong boatyards and the Kuala Terengganu waterfront are close.