Sapa tour: The Lao Cai special market

Today we visited Sapa market highlands. Looked in the people’s eyes, we saw their excitement and enthusiasm. This crowded fair urge us to go, to discover it. And  then, I followed a man, we reached to fog village and visited the Sapa famous market across the old street. Unlike other urban markets, which no longer maintain traditional values because of the infiltration of foreign goods, Sapa market still sells local products. Domestic goods on display include costumes, towels, beautiful bags…attract foreigners attention. The village festival showcases ethnic minority cultures and gradually helped them to raise their standard of living. To exchange goods, the Sapa cultural market is held to glorify the value of products of peoples, such as brocade of H'Mong, Dao, Gíay, Xa Phó...are exhibited from very early to 9am. Others beside brocades are handicraft products, types of silverware for most. Silver is beaten into bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings ... Sellers affable, honest offer visitors.

Sapa tour – The lao cai special fair

Not too noisy, the flower market keeps its silence, they still drive a bargain but no too much, because sellers and buyers have had a deep business relation already. Under the morning sun, the petals become wet with dew. Shining beauty of roses, chrysanthemums and orchids attract to buyers. Mr and Mrs.Huong in Tram Ton district, who have just had a good bargain, say: “Those beautiful flowers are very easy to sell. We will grow it more in the next season”. No shimmering brightly as the flower market, the Sapa famous vegetable markets Sapa is on sale with tops chayote, cabbage, watercress, bamboo structures, tomatoes, beans ... A few years ago, visitors in Sa Pa quiche with salad by tasty and cheap vegetables there. Sa Pa market was built in the late twentieth century, with an area of ​​over 10,000m2. Market has more than a thousand stalls, stalls trading the commodity group. The major products are: flowers, vegetables, herbs, brocade, souvenirs and household items... The items at the market are rich at reasonable prices and people sell by retail. Every year, there are tens of thousands of tourists come to visit and shopping at the market.

Leaved Sapa district, we spent over two hours by bus to get to the Bac Ha cultural market, which is in the middle of the district center. Although we’re all tired, but we could view those boys riding horses and those girls wearing unique red brocade with gorgeous silver necklace instead. They brought corn wine, pig and chicken to sell in the market and beside this, they looked for their soul mate, their predestination. Giang Seo Pao guy living in Coc Ly commune had "caught" the most beautiful girl in Ban Pho commune to be his wife, raised corn liquor bowl and invited me. Pao said: “In Bac Ha, we have famous traditional craft corn distillers. Soil, climate, water here is very suitable for growing corn as raw materials for making wine. Want wine, people used corn seed which is taken from the previous harvest. Planting in January on the uplands or beaches, soil is loosened by people, they holes in rows, each row separated by a distance of half a meter. After harvesting, remove seeds to wine is a true art. Bring cooked corn, yeast incubated with leaf, put into sealed jars untill move the deep yellow corn, wine has scents - that is the time to bring a nice wine.

Sapa brocades – beautiful charm of Sapa girls

I wandered around the market, saw the pan is recorded in Guinness book Vietnam. The special was a highlight of the cultural life of the people of Bac Ha, they exchange feelings, sharing the work was very dear and rustic. The beauty of the cultural market of Bac Ha, no place for the way of purchase "go their separate ways." In 2008, Bac Ha district continued to invest in renovation, repaired and cleaned condition Fair. Therefore, the market became one of the major markets of the mountainous border region of Bac Ha, Si Ma Cai and Muong Khuong. Many stalls, the group arranged and streamlined, focusing on the area of business, enabling each trade industry best.

Muong Hum (Bat Xat) on the day of shopping, my friend and I were fascinated by the bustling atmosphere. From guest invitation "come buy, come buy" was so much fun, noodle soup with pork and dried pig and seven attractive colors dotted with sesame cilantro was truly delightful dish. Market bold the highlands culture of the people, created their own differences and items for sale. Here, there was specialty cardamom, where rarely sold so much cardamom. Black pork stall here was specialty. Stall holders was Giáy women, introduced each type of meat which was sold at a reasonable price. The agricultural commodities and consumers in the market is for sale everywhere, is a vivid picture of life highlanders are changing every day, which makes foreign tourists who visit Muong Hum market interested in.

Before our farewell, Mr.Hoa had said: “Cultural identity is impressive mountainous fair. Shopping, I met a lot of foreign visitors spend money to hire someone to lead them at the market, because they are interested in cultural identity element in Lao Cai markets". His words evoke a reality, the highland markets is not only a picture of local economic life and but also a dating place to exchange people feelings, add charms adorn the land and people of Lao Cai.