在架建在支柱上的木屋底層，

23歲的Pom Sopheap在泥地上工作，以靈巧手藝在一

大幅高棉絲綢上編織出精細

的圖案。這位年輕工藝師沿

用自12歲起得自母親傳授的技術，編織精美的絲綢品，部分作品遠銷至巴黎的時裝

精品店。在1970年代波爾布特執政時期， 柬埔寨民不聊生，絲綢業一度湮沒，但現已展

開讓人期待已久的復蘇之路。

柬埔寨部長委員會辦公室國務秘書Mey Kalyan說：「高棉絲綢極具潛力發展為柬埔寨最主要的出口商品之一。」

早於1993年，法國援助機構法國開發署（AFD）已確認，絲綢業對推動柬埔寨經濟發展具有關鍵作用。生產絲綢是一個勞工密

集行業，需要大量廉價勞工以及大片可耕土

地，而柬埔寨正好兩者兼備。Kalyan指出，二戰後的日本和南韓，均是藉著發展全國絲

綢業來賺取外匯的成功例子。

Kalyan解釋道：「在柬埔寨等國民收入仍然偏低的國家，絲綢業的地位可謂舉足輕

重。」他表示，中國的生絲產量正在下跌，為

On the dirt floor below her family’s wooden house on stilts, 23-year-old Pom Sopheap is skilfully weaving an intricate pattern into a large piece of Khmer silk. The young artisan uses the same tech-

niques she has learned from her mother since the age of 12, working with fabric that may end up in a Parisian fashion boutique. Cambodian’s silk industry, which all but vanished during the destructive Pol Pot regime of the 1970s, is now set for a long-awaited revival.

“Khmer silk has a very real potential of becoming one of the country’s biggest export sectors,” says Mey Kalyan, Cambodian Secretary of State at the Office of the Council of Ministers.

In 1993 the French aid agency Agence Française de Développement (AFD) identified the silk sector as one of the keys to Cambodian economic development. The labour-intensive nature of silk production typically requires a lot of inexpensive labour and the availability of arable land. Cambodia has both, and Kalyan cites post-World War II Japan and South Korea as examples of countries that successfully developed a national silk industry as a foreign-currency earner.

TEXT/文 JOhan smits

golden opportunity黃金機會Cambodia’s modest silk industry has the potential to become a lucrative national treasure柬埔寨絲綢業的潛力無窮，有望發展成為收益 豐厚的產業

Cambodia's superior-quality gold silk is in demand around the world

柬埔寨出產的金絲品質超卓， 在全球各地需求殷切

fly CamBOdia 遨遊柬埔寨

OCTOBER 2010 silkrOad 5150 silkrOad OCTOBER 2010

a craftsman (top) transfers dyed silk onto a wheel ready for weaving

一名工藝師將染色的絲線送到

輪子上，準備進行編織 （最上圖）

a woman (above) examines dyed silk before applying the next colour

一名女子為染色絲綢加上另一

種顏色之前，先行仔細檢視 （上圖）

柬埔寨提供了一個搶佔市場的良機。隨著絲

綢的內銷強勁及出口需求上升，柬埔寨絲綢

製品的年產量估計達到400噸，反映行業的發展潛力優厚。

身任國際貿易中心（ITC）高級技術顧問的柬埔寨親王Pheanuroth Sisowath說：「我們正著手為所有工業界的行業——即是整體價

值鏈——制訂全球發展策略。」

他說，在絲綢產業價值鏈的三個主要階段

中，柬埔寨在紡織及設計兩方面已取得驕人

成績。越南、泰國及中國等地的絲綢生產商多

以工業化的紡織機取代人手。相比之下，柬國

以手工生產的優質絲綢，在結實耐用、亮度及

柔軟度方面均無與倫比。此外，柬埔寨絲綢以

人手製作的特質，令生產商較容易回應消費者

的需求，營運方式可以更為靈活，加上願意接

受較小數量的訂單，均是該國絲綢業的優勢。 非牟利組織Tabitha Cambodia通過系列計劃支援及推動絲綢業的發展，其主席

Janne Ritskes說：「我們的另一強項是顏色選擇變化多端。我們所有產品都是手工染色，

因此你能買到獨一無二的產品。」

目前，柬埔寨絲綢的主要零售商是國內及國

際非牟利組織如Tabitha，以及Khmer Silk

“Silk has a particular role for the people of a country when the income is still very low like in Cambodia,” Kalyan explains. He says a decline in silk-yarn production in China is presenting Cambodia with an opportunity to step in. With strong domestic consumption and a growing demand for export – total annual silk-yarn processing in Cambodia is estimated at about 400 tonnes – the case for reviving the industry is strong.

“We have arrived at a stage of developing a global strategy for all sectors [of the industry] – the whole value chain,” says Cambodian Prince Pheanuroth Sisowath, Senior Technical Adviser for the International Trade Centre (ITC).

He says Cambodia was already doing well in two of the three main stages of the silk value chain: weaving and design. In countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and China, silk producers often use industrial weaving machines, but the handcrafted techniques employed in Cambodia create a quality of silk that is unmatched in its robustness, shine and softness. This artisanal character of Cambodian silk also means that producers can more easily adapt to customers’ requirements. Their flexibility and acceptance of small orders has been identified as one of the sector’s key strengths.

“Another strength is the number of colours that we have,” says Janne Ritskes, Director of non-profit organi-sation Tabitha Cambodia, which supports and develops the industry through work programmes. “Everything is hand-dyed – whatever you buy, it is unique.”

Currently, the major retailers are national and interna-tional NGOs such as Tabitha and industry associations like Khmer Silk Villages and Artisans’ Association of Cambodia (AAC). But some of the AAC’s 50 members have already made a successful transition to private business. Thanks to them the traditional Khmer de-signs – very popular in the domestic market – have evolved towards more modern and innovative creations P

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52 silkrOad OCTOBER 2010 OCTOBER 2010 silkrOad 53

fly CamBOdia 遨遊柬埔寨

Dragonair flies eight times a week to Phnom Penh港龍航空每周有八班航機 飛往金邊

FLY WITH US港龍航程

raw silk is extracted from the yellow cocoons of silkworms (above left)

生絲是取自這些黃色的絲蠶繭 （左上圖）

shop for silk at the markets of Phnom Penh (above)

顧客在金邊的市集選購絲綢 （上圖）

Villages及Artisans Association of Cam-bodia（AAC）等行業協會。但AAC的50個成員中，部分已成功轉型為私營公司。在他們

努力下，為當地市場極受歡迎的傳統高棉絲綢

設計，加入了時尚及創新風格，更適合國外消

費者品味。歐洲及日本消費者特別喜歡柬埔寨

的絲綢產品。AAC成員去年的收益為250萬美元，其中七成五來自出口。AAC的行政總裁Men Sinoeun說：「市場的需求十分殷切。」 然而，在絲綢產業價值鏈的三個階段中，柬

埔寨最弱的一環是統稱為養蠶的第一階段。

此階段包括種植桑樹和飼養絲蠶，讓其吐絲

結繭，以抽取生絲。柬埔寨每年生產的400噸絲綢產品中，只有小部分是以當地絲蠶的 「金絲」織造；這些只有本地飼養絲蠶才能

生產的優質絲線帶有天然黃色，其價格雖

高，卻總是供不應求。大部分生絲是進口自 越南、泰國及中國。這些進口生絲呈白色，品

質亦有所不同，但過去數年供應量持續下跌，

導致價格上漲，促使柬埔寨絲綢業界認真研

究提高本地生絲產量的策略。

在聯合國糧農組織資助下，一所造價

500,000美元的研究中心於2009年底落成。中心位於首都金邊外圍40公里，將致力培育健康的絲蠶卵和栽種優質的桑樹，並為蠶農

提供培訓，向他們灌輸最新科技。研究中心

已於6月種植首批10,000棵桑樹，桑葉將用作飼養購自南韓的幼蠶；這些蠶繭將於今年底

運抵柬國。預計在兩季之內，研究中心將可找

出最適合飼養新品種絲蠶的桑樹。

Sinoeun說：「絲綢業將成為真正具有高效益的產業，為農民帶來可觀的收入。我們已經

擁有需求殷切的市場，但我們需要更加努力

去發掘市場的潛力。」

suitable for international buyers. Europe and Japan are particularly keen consumers of Cambodian silk products. The AAC’s members earned about US$2.5 million last year, of which 75 percent was for export. “The demand is very high,” says its Executive Director Men Sinoeun.

However, the weak part of the three-tier silk value chain is the first stage called sericulture: growing mulberry trees and breeding silkworms from whose cocoons the silk yarn is derived. Only a fraction of the 400 tonnes of silk is grown in Cambodia and consists of so-called golden silk, a particularly high-quality natural yellow thread that comes only from local silkworms. Although expensive, it doesn’t come close to fulfilling demand. The bulk of yarn is imported from Vietnam, Thailand and China. White in colour and of a different quality, its supply has declined over the past few years and import prices have increased, resulting in a complete rethink on domestic production.

At the end of last year, a US$500,000 research centre funded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation was established. Located 40 kilometres outside of the capital Phnom Penh, it will produce disease-free silkworm eggs, provide quality mulberry trees, train farmers and provide them with new techonology. The centre planted its first 10,000 mulberry trees in June, which will be used to feed silkworms from cocoons to be imported from South Korea towards the end of this year. Within two seasons, the centre should be able to identify the mulberry trees that are most suitable for a new breed of silkworms.

“Silk will become a real industry and will help farmers a lot to provide an income,” says the AAC’s Sinoeun. “The market is already there, it’s waiting for us. But more work needs to be done yet to tap into that potential.” P

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54 silkrOad OCTOBER 2010

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OCTOBER 2010 silkrOad 55

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where tO gO

PhnOm Penhtabitha Cambodiawww.tabithasingapore.com

Specialises in custom and ready-made Cambodian silk bedding, home décor and accessories.

ambre

www.romydaketh.net

Mostly women’s high fashion silkwear, but the flower- embroidered silk shirt for men is a great buy.

mekong Bluewww.mekongblue.com

Look out for the typically Khmer ikat-patterned cushion covers and the traditional Scarf de Royale.

Jasmine Boutiquewww.jasmineboutique.net

The crochet pleated silk chiffon shift dress would please any woman.

artisans d’angkorwww.artisansdangkor.com

Get the jungle-green lady long wallet, or a Buddhist-themed silk painting.

絲綢之地

金邊

tabitha Cambodiawww.tabithasingapore.com專門為客人訂造絲綢製品，並提

供柬埔寨絲綢床上用品、家居裝

飾及配飾。

ambrewww.romydaketh.net 產品多為高級絲綢女裝，但花卉

刺繡男裝襯衫亦是佳選。

mekong Bluewww.mekongblue.com可選購高棉經典「ikat」圖案坐墊及傳統「Scarf de Royale」圍巾。

Jasmine Boutiquewww.jasmineboutique.net其勾織褶邊絲綢雪紡連身裙，深

得女士們的歡心。

watthan artisans Cambodiawww.wac.khmerproducts.com

Buying tip: the carry bag with lizard motif in raw silk and large thin silk scarves in multiple single colours.

the artisans’ Collectionwww.aac.org.kh

Browse the flower-patterned silk scarves or buy a tradi-tional-inspired Khmer hat for women.

siem reaPeric raisina haute texturewww.ericraisina.com

This Madagascar-born haute-couture designer mixes Khmer golden silk thread with African themes. Look out for the golden silk feather stole and the full tie-and-dye silk organza scarf.

watthan artisans Cambodiawww.wac.khmerproducts.com產品推介：蜥蝪圖案生絲手袋及

純色薄絲大圍巾。

the artisans’ Collectionwww.aac.org.kh可選購多款花卉圖案絲綢圍巾，

以及傳統風格的女裝高棉帽。

暹粒

eric raisina haute texturewww.ericraisina.com這位出生於馬達加斯加的高級服

裝設計師，其作品糅合高棉金絲

及非洲主題。其金絲羽毛披肩及

全紮染薄紗披肩均甚具瞄頭。

artisans d angkorwww.artisansdangkor.com深綠色女裝長手提包，或以佛教

為主題的絲綢繪畫，均極受顧客

歡迎。

silk products come in all shapes and

sizes

絲綢製品的 式樣及尺寸 林林總總

Bags of style from tabitha Cambodia

來自tabitha Cambodia設計的手袋別具型格

56 silkrOad OCTOBER 2010

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OCTOBER 2010 silkrOad 57