Tan Chau

Tan Chau on the Tien branch near the Cambodian border made lanh My A, a silk dyed a deep glossy black with the juice of the mac nua fruit - the cloth is dipped, dried in the sun and dipped again dozens of times over weeks, which is what produces the depth of colour and the weight of the fabric, and no chemical dye reproduces it. The silk was a luxury across southern Vietnam. Production collapsed in the twentieth century and only a handful of workshops continue, with the fruit itself becoming scarce. The town also sits on the Mekong border trade, with fish farms in cages under floating houses on the river.

What you actually see

• Lanh My A silk - dyed black with mac nua fruit juice.
• Dozens of dips over weeks - the process that gives the colour.
• A handful of workshops left - after production collapsed.
• Floating fish farm houses - on the river at the border.

When to go

November to April, the dry season. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Very few workshops still make the real cloth and finding them needs asking locally. Prices for genuine lanh My A are high. The town has little visitor infrastructure. Border trade dominates the riverfront.

Nearby

Chau Doc is south; the Cambodian border crossing is close.