TOP 3 LOVE MARKETS IN VIETNAM

Being an oriental country in Asia area, Vietnam has a huge cultural store dating back thousands of years. Traditional markets are one of important elements making a rich cultural identity in Vietnam. Not only is it a place to exchange goods, but it also is shown cultural life of Vietnamese people, especially ethnic minority groups’ markets. Love market is the unique cultural feature, typically, love market in Sapa, Moc Chau and Ha Giang.

LOVE MARKET IN SAPA

Being near Fansipan Mountain in Vietnam - the highest one in Indochina, Sapa is a well-known attraction with many beautiful sites such as Ham Rong Mountain, Cat Cat Village, The Heaven Gate... Love market is also a traditional culture, which made Sapa better known in visitors’ eyes.

A beautiful site in Sapa with rice terraced fields - the traditional farming method

That is a place to find out the other half to get married. It is like one of special cultural characters of ethnic groups in Sapa. Took place every Saturday night, people living nearby mountain village must go in advance to get opportunity to join it. Night comes is time for young villagers take a chance to get acquainted each other by taking part in such activities as playing leaf-horns, traditional games, singing and dancing. They heartily perform with romantic melodies so that they could express their feeling with the other for a steady love in a long term.

a man is performing a romantic melody with their traditional instrument at night

Until dawn is getting to break, the market finishes and leaves happy moments in the ethnic people’s mind. After that night, someone is fortunate because love did come to them and an appointment is made on the next market. Many of them have later become a family in marriage sharing both good things and bad things in their life together.

A couple are dating through a nice song

Since when I do not know, Love Market has been an essential part in mountainous people’s culture in Sapa, which shows aspiration to freedom in love of ethnic minorities in Vietnam since everlasting.

KHAU VAI LOVE MARKET

Tet atmosphere is still very bustling after the lunar New Year; there is annually a market-day on 27th of March. Strangely, we do not see anything relating to agricultural goods bought there, but it is a love market. Whenever tourists are introduced about “love market”, they often push many questions away me. “What exactly is sold there?”, “Do they sale love?”, “How can love be shown in this market”.

Girls and boys are making friend at Khau Vai  Love Market

This love market is a cultural activity of ethnic minority groups in Dong Van plateau and nearby mountainous areas of Cao bang province. The old, living at this area say that love market dated back to 1919. Nowadays, it is more convenient to approach the market; therefore, more people have a chance to join this market. Cultural identities are still saved until today whatever has changed.

Dong Van plateau

Somewhere, a local myth is told that a young couple from two different tribes in which the girl belonged to the Giay group was very charmed and the good man lived in the Nung group fell in love with each other. According to her tribe’s rule, she was not allowed to marry with any men from another tribe. Reluctantly, a violent conflict was happened between the two tribes.

One day, he realizes that it was entirely wrong to try to stay together when their love only brought pain and death to others. Saying goodbye was the only way to deal that problem. Though they sorrowfully broke up, a date to meet once a year on lunar March 27th was made to make it up their love. From that on, the date had become a special day for those in love...

The Khau Vai Love Market

Another story about Khau Vai love market’s origin is closely attached to two temples called Mr. and Mrs. A long time ago, there were a couple in two different tribes of Dong Van plateau. Although, they loved each other so much, there is no way to ask their families’ permission. They together came to Khau Vai - a fertile land to live on. They happily lived until they died, though they could not have a child. After that, locals there built two temples to worship them with their respect. They hope that this land will always be rich like the couple’s eternal love.

On the road to go in Khau Vai Love Market

Therefore, on every lunar march 27th, Khau Vai gets attracted various couples with different ages. They come there to seek their ex-love, in the past; they could not belong to each other due to something unlucky.

The man is playing a traditional music

You can easily see many couples going to the market together, but they will separate and look up their ex-love to share emotion of the past. If their wife or husband must stay at home, he or she will not jealous in love because this market is honestly a faithful feeling exchange.

MOC CHAU LOVE MARKET

It is similar to love market in Sapa; Moc Chau love market takes place every solar September 1st - the independent day of that ethnic group. It is a nice picture with Mông people’s colorful clothes. Mông Đơ people sometime put on white one, while Mông Si and Mong Du’ dresses are black, red and flowery. It makes a beautiful flower market.

Mong Si girls are chatting with their friends

According to locals, the market is not a trading place but a romantic one to meet, to date and to express their feelings towards their love. It is also for strangers to meet and fall in love someone. Importantly, it shows the most special cultural identity of ethnic groups there.

Some boys are very keen on their performance

In spire of one of famous love markets in Vietnam, Moc Chau love market has its own value. In ancient time, many couples married after their meeting at the market. The others became friends only. Therefore, when a couple go to the market at night, each one will go his or her way. They promise to meet again at the meeting point in the morning and back to their home together without asking about what he or she did the night before. During the market-day, they chat and share their emotions all night; they also take part in some traditional games to make the market busier.

They are taking a deep sleep after ending the bustling market

Nowadays, the living condition positively has changed; there are more young men decided to stop their motorcycle near the market, putting on a traditional costume and taking a small radio along to play their favorite songs whose purpose is to get attention of beautiful girls nearby. They hold their hand and take a walk together, when two people meet and love at first sight. They also record their voices in music and give it the other. They will turn it on when they are far way with full of  missing.

Ethnic girls and boys are playing with each other

No matter how old they are, no matter where they come, all of them will participate in that special day. They tease each other, run around the market without complaining of the old. Everyone knows that it is the happy day once a year. That is a wonderful time for everybody to express their feeling that is covered up by a busy and hard life.

If you like the article (and even if you don't), or have ideas for topics you'd like enjoyed in the next time, let me know what you think about An Insider of Vietnam. And rest assured I have been trying to improve the coming articles’ quality.