In such a long time, highland markets are not only the place for exchanging stuffs, but also the place for meeting of local minorities. The highlight of these markets is the colorful traditional costums of different ethnic minorities and brocades that sell in stalls. Nowday, these markets are still keep the atmosphere as the old days, so you need to check it out for deeper exploration.
 

Lao Cai is a mountainous province in the northwest of Vietnam which is well-known for many famous landscape and traditional customs. Bac Ha market is a unique cultural trait that everyone should experience it at least once in life. 

Apart from famous destinations in Sa Pa such as Ham Rong mountain, there are still lots of interesting experiences waiting for you there. One of these attractions is Bac Ha market, which will leave in your mind plenty of interesting and unforgettable experiences. 
 

The lively Bac Ha Market
 

Bac Ha market is one of the largest markets in the northwest of Vietnam in general and in Lao Cai in particular. The market located in the high mountain in Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province, about 76 km from Lao Cai city. The way to Bac Ha is quite tough with tortuous mountain pass. The higher it gets, the steeper the path is.

Specially, Bac Ha market is only held in Sunday every week, from the morning to 2 p.m, so that there are lots of people gather around. The market is well-known for its pristine look, bearing bold feature of upland ethnic groups in Vietnam. Among markets in Lao Cai, Bac Ha was once ranked top 10 most unique markets in Southeast Asia. 

1. Brocade quarter

Bac Ha market is very large, it’s often divided into quarters with special features of commodities. Brocade quarter is the most outstanding there, which displays brocade items made by the local from embroidering to weaving. There, you can buy some pretty and colorful skirts, scarves, bags hanging up in the stalls. Some interesting accessories such as bracelets, rings, necklaces tinged with appealing forest and mountain patterns. 
 

Souvenir selling in Bac Ha market

2. Fresh vegetables and fruits quarter

Fresh vegetables and fruits quarter in Bac Ha is very attractive with eye-catching colors of red peppers, green vegetables, saffron beeswax, garden hoes and shovels, etc. There, you can explore many more striking, strange commodities that you have never seen before.

3. Poultry, cattle quarter

Bac Ha market mainly is a gathering place for trading horses, buffaloes in a large scale of hundreds of poultry and cattle as well as the place for men to congregate around. Additionally, there is a dog quarter in Bac Ha selling highland precious dog breeds which is the favorite stop of pet lovers. Another site is bird quarter in Bac Ha market with many rare bird breeds. 

Market is a unique culture trait of the northern mountains in Vietnam and Dong Van is one of the most typical and popular markets. 

Located in the middle of Dong Van old town, Dong Van market is held on every Sunday. Dong Van market is the largest place for trading in Dong Van – Meo Vac plateau. It is a large center of economic trade, commodity exchange of upland ethnic groups, especially the market located in the complex of Dong Van old town. There are lots of cultures converge here which will not exist in anywhere else. 
 

Dong Van - one of the most typical and popular markets. 
 

Dong Van market is held on a huge ground with the overall U-shaped architecture, built of stone.  With such a large architecture, Dong Van market attracts many commodities (agricultural produce, vegetables, meet, brocade, etc.) of the local. Each line is displayed in different stands to make it convenient for buyers. 

Perhaps there is no one knows since when Dong Van market has existed. It is known that every Sunday, the local bustle about bringing their products grown or made by themselves for trading. Starting from 3 a.m., when the fog still covers the ground, the local together pass the mountains, go down to the market. 

Markets have become an indispensable cultural activity in life of the highland ethnic groups in Ha Giang. Dong Van market is incredibly beautiful with colorful costumes of the Dao, Mong, Tay, Nung, Giay, Lo Lo. The trading atmosphere turns the quiet old villige into crowded and busy town. The Sunday seems to become a day of festival to the local. Apart from trading, exchanging goods, the local come to Dong Van market to meet more people or their own friends. Especially, it is also a place for boys and girls to go on a date.
 

Experience the bustling market with colorful outfits of local minorities
 

Dong Van market is an old one in the complex of Dong Van old town. Therefore, on every fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth day of a lunar month, there will be special and typical cultural activities: bird fighting, performance of traditional brocade weaving. This is a unique cultural trait of Dong Van market in Ha Giang that nowhere else can have. 

Dong Van market has become a very familiar and holy part in life, in the culture of Ha Giang, the border area of Vietnam, it is more than a market. 

Every tourist comes there can feel its simple beauty. The local often go to the market with their whole family, the scene of women trading commodities, next to them are their husbands sitting beside cups of alcohol made from corn and bowls of horse meat (Ha Giang’s specialty), chatting and drinking until they get hammered.

Dong Van market is a unique cultural trait of Vietnam’s border area, Ha Giang tourism, don’t forget to come there for an exploration!
 

Meo Vac district is home to 17 ethnic groups namely Mong, Tay, Dao, Nung, Giay with diversified cultural identity, unique customs whose identity is defined as "Live on rocks and die buried in rocks". In which, their market culture, a feature of upland ethnic groups, must be mentioned. Let’s pay Meo Vac night market a visit!

1.    A couple of things about Meo Vac

Meo Vac is the farthest mountainous district of Ha Giang province, located at the end of the Happy Road and also the extreme poor district. Despite its poverty, the district has to take over a very important and heavy duty that is protect the country’s borderline. Only those who have lived and worked in the highlands can see all the hardships there.
 

The picturesque scenes of Meo Vac

Meo Vac is the locality that faces all the harshness of nature, which gives Meo Vac people the industriousness, diligence, unyieldingness for holding on to, struggling with the nature and a determination on finding new directions. 

2.    Unique Meo Vac market

There are often backward markets in Ha Giang, which are held in communes in turn. If the market is held on Sunday this week, it will be held on Saturday next week, on Friday of the week after and on Thursday of the next next week. Meo Vac market is often held on Sunday. 

To back up an appointment, from the early morning, the ethnic groups including H’Mong, Dao, Giay, Nung, Lo Lo gather around in the market. Boys and girls in their traditionally colorful costumes together go down to the market. Though they have to walk for a long way, their faces look so joyful, eager. 
 

People brings their pets, products to the market not only for making money but also a chance to meet new people
 

Long time ago, markets have become an indispensable cultural activity of the mountainous people in Ha Giang. Apart from trading, a market is also a place for cultural exchanges. Thanks to these markets, lots of couples could find each other then get married. They love each other’s dance, voice, pan-pipe sound and they make an appointment to the next market. Accordingly, the market becomes these girls’ and boys’ anticipation, anxious. More than the trading atmosphere, the market is full of festival one. 
 

The locals are gathering at the maket

In Meo Vac nowadays, apart from markets held in Sunday, there are also night markets.

In recent years, Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark in Ha Giang province in general and in Meo Vac district in particular has received quite lots of tourists, thereby, there are also many services arising. The opening of those markets held in every weekend evening is also for offering tourists a place to explore daily life as well as local products. 
 

Art performances at Meo Vac Night market

Meo Vac market is opened on the occasion of Khau Vai love market and located in the central market of Meo Vac town. There, tourists can enjoy types of instruments or products made by the local. 

The products on sale are as diversified as a normal market, which mainly from mountains or the goods made by the local such as honeybee, field mushroom, brocade, alcohol or fruits. It is the crystallization of labor, showing the local’s dexterity and reflecting the ethnic groups’ characteristics of living, dressing or method of cultivation, cattle-breeding.

The special trait of upland markets is cuisine. Come to Meo Vac night market, tourists can enjoy horse meat, the specialty of highland ethnic groups.

It can be said that the night market opened with diversified products and activities has formed a place for tourists to come play around and get their own exploration when the district is short of amusement destinations in the night as well as makes a contribution to the local economic development.  

Along with organization, acting out festivals, cultural activities like Vu Mong carnival, Khau Vai love market and the inherent attraction of the ethnic groups’ cultures. And with the unspoiled, majestic natural scenery, Meo Vac is definitely an interesting stop for tourists coming to Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark.