The Hoi An Silk Festival ran from 7th-14th of June, and is part of the larger Quang Nam Heritage Festival which has celebrated its 6th year of operation. The Heritage Festival showcases and enhances Vietnamese cultural values, as well as highlighting provincial cultural characteristics which desirably have strong tourism potentials and incentives for investment in the province. It is also an opportunity to discuss the management and preservation of heritage cultural values among the localities.
The Silk Festival this year had participants from the International Silk Association, Asia Silk Association, MeKong Institute, as well as silk producers from seven Asian countries and multiple artisans nationwide from villages such as Nha Xa, Nam Cao, and Co Tu. It is also an opportunity for international interest and recognition, with global representatives from within and outside Asia given the chance for business and trade partnerships. The festival showcased techniques of reeling and weaving, and also featured a fashion show Night of the Oriental Silk featuring collections from both local and foreign designers.
It was amazing to witness the traditional techniques of the weaving, hundreds of years old still in practice today. They had examples of the different types of silk worms used, what different textures and patterns they could produce and different brocading techniques. The bringing together of different cultures from across Vietnam was also amazing to witness.