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| VanUk |  Bac Ha Market, feast for the eyes!
Posted: 2010-04-16 05:04:23, Edited: 2010-04-16 05:05:51Being a minority ethnic people market, the town of
Bac Ha is famous for its Sunday market which is a
trading centre and meeting place for couples,
friends, and relatives every Sunday.
Beautiful products sold in Bac Ha Market
Every Sunday, Bac Ha hosts the biggest fair near
the mountainous highlands and the Chinese border.
It is the largest and most colourful market in the
area and attracts throngs of villagers from the
surrounding hill tribes. Some walk several hours
for the weekly opportunity to trade and barter
food, animals, clothes and household goods. 80km
from Sapa, Bac Ha Market is not only the place for
buying and selling, but also a place for cultural
and sentiment exchanging. On the market days,
right from the early morning, all paths and
mountain roads are full of people and horses
pouring to the market. People usually sit in
groups around a soup pan ("thang co") eating and
chatting.
Many different ethnic groups such as Flower
H'mong, Phu La, Black Dao, Tay and Nung minorities
gather to buy and sell local products that cannot
be found elsewhere. The market was very crowded,
local products for sale or barter are carried on
horseback. Besides the usual items like pigs,
cows, chickens, and ducks, Bac Ha Market sold
dogs. As dogs were available as cuts of meat, they
were also available live, right next to the live
pigs, chickens, and other livestock. There was a
brisk trade at the market for everything from
hand-embroidered skirts to all manner of 4-legged
animals. The “fresh” meat section is not for the
faint of heart and might steer more than a few
visitors in the direction of strict vegetarianism.
Though tourists were not in short supply, they
were not the focus. Most locals paid little
attention to them, rather choosing to focus on
their business and the short Sunday-sized window
of opportunity. Rounding the corner and pungent
fumes of alcohol accosted your senses of smell,
from corn whiskey, a Bac Ha specialty. The potent
moonshine is decanted by vendors from large white
plastic jugs to used bottled water containers. If
you doubt the ability of a vendor's hooch to peel
paint or light your senses on fire, you can try a
shot for free.
At the fair, adventurous gastronomes can try
“thang co” blood porridge, a popular dish of the
H’Mong and other local people. The Flower H’mong
minority is the most common here, and their
colourful dresses makes is a beautiful sight.
In conclusion, I would like to mention here the
comment by Mr. Ikuyo, a tourist from Tokyo
(Japan): “The trip to Bac Ha Market was amazing!
On the way, the scenery was beautiful and the
local people were so friendly. I will come back
again!”. Let’s once visit Bac Ha Market and you
will be able to experience a wide range of
different colorful ethnic minorities and more
interesting things of life in the mountains...
For more Bac Ha market 's pictures in
http://www.indochinatravelservice.com/Travel/Vietn
am/BacHaMarket/Bac_Ha_Market/
Van Cao
Indochina Travel Service |
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