Silk production is an art in Cambodia that has been passed down through generations for centuries. The country is even one of the world's most renowned producers of this natural fiber, used primarily in the creation of fine fabrics. During your stay in the country, you'll have the opportunity to visit the workshops to admire and discover the entire process that brings this refined silk to life, crafted and refined by skilled artisans.

The Silk-Making Technique in Cambodia

To obtain this natural fiber, Cambodian silk weavers—the vast majority of those involved in this craft are historically and today women—use cocoons that serve silkworms during their transformation from their larval state to their butterfly form.

When the butterfly emerges for the first time after the final molting phase, the natural silk fiber produced by the silkworm to form the cocoon detaches and is collected to be spun.

This obtained silk is then placed in hot water in order to extract a single, continuous thread. The thread is then immersed in hot, soapy water to remove the sericin that coats its surface. The different threads are then arranged on frames and inserted into colored dye baths. The manufacturing process for a finished frame like this takes approximately 6 months.

The Various Silk Farms of Cambodia

Several silk workshops operate throughout Cambodia, particularly in the northwestern region near Battambang and Siem Reap. At Angkor Silk Farm on the route between these two major cities, at Golden Silk Farm in Banteay Srei, or at Silk Road Mekong which partners with the Mekong Children association in Banteay Chhmar, female weavers join these enterprises and NGOs to learn the craft and support their families. At Koh Dach, known as the Silk Island, near Phnom Penh, it's different—the village has transmitted this knowledge from family to family for generations.

At Angkor Silk Farm, the workshop of Artisans d'Angkor, you'll find a majestic 5-hectare plantation filled with mulberry trees. These plants are essential in silk production since their leaves are the primary food source for silkworms throughout their development until cocoon formation. It's worth noting that each month, a single silkworm consumes approximately one kilogram of mulberry leaves.

At Golden Silk Farm, you'll learn that a complete cycle—from the silkworm's birth through its various molts to the moment when the cocoon is ready for processing—lasts 43 days. This means it's possible to complete 8 to 9 cycles per year. Here, as in many other silk farms, 100 kg of cocoons yield 8.5 kg of processed, usable silk. Careful handling is therefore essential to avoid damage. The entire process is also well explained on-site.

Soieries du Mékong blends the art of Cambodian silk production with French artistry. Indeed, the scarves woven here are designed in France. After the silk becomes usable and malleable, it takes between 8 and 12 hours for a weaver to create a scarf that will subsequently be sold to tourists or French and Cambodian clients.