Explore the Northern weekly market at Vietnam Private Tours

1. What is a weekly market?

Markets were born when people had the need to exchange earned wealth for things necessary for life. Everyone will meet at a certain time and place to make purchases. From a small group of a few people, the market later became more and more crowded, not only locals but also tourists coming to visit and experience.

The weekly market is different from the regular market in that it is only open on certain special days. The market usually takes place every Saturday and Sunday or some other markets will open every Thursday and Friday, depending on the culture of each region. Coming to the weekly market, visitors will experience a cultural space full of community.

2. A weekly market preserves the cultural beauty of indigenous people

The market is not only a place to exchange and buy goods, but also an extremely interesting place to meet, have fun and have cultural activities for people in the area. People of all ages come to the market: Wives and mothers go to the market to shop; husbands socialize, drink wine, play the flute, and dance; Youth come to the market to socialize and find partners. All create a joyful and colorful scene.

At the same time, this place preserves a treasure of cultural costumes and cuisine. At the weekly market, you will see the friendly faces of ethnic people in traditional costumes. The busiest place at the market is still the food stalls. This place sells extremely famous regional specialties, attracting not only locals but also tourists in Vietnam Private Tours because of the mountain flavors and unique scents found nowhere else.

Read more: Top 5 most special year-end festivals in the Northwest Vietnam

3. Famous northern weekly markets

Bac Ha weekly market (Lao Cai)

Location: Bac Ha town, Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province (70Km from Lao Cai city).
Time: Every Sunday.
Once ranked by Serendib Tourism Magazine as one of the top 10 markets in Southeast Asia, the market in Bac Ha also attracts a large number of tourists participating in Vietnam Customized Tours. This is the largest market in the Northwest provinces and still retains its simplicity, imbued with the cultural identity of the highland ethnic groups here.

Bac Ha weekly market is divided into small markets with typical exchange characteristics such as: Brocade market, food market, horse market (Bac Ha horse), poultry market, food market, blacksmith market… Here visitors enjoy special dishes in the highlands such as: five-color sticky rice, corn wine, thang co,… The brocade products sold here not only represent the cultural features of the costumes of the Mong and ethnic people. Red knife… but also has very high artistic value.

Can Cau weekly market (Lao Cai)

Location: Can Cau commune, Si Ma Cai district, Lao Cai province.
Time: Every Saturday, holidays, New Year of the year (Early morning to noon).
One of the most famous Northwest highland markets is Can Cau market in Si Ma Cai district, about 100 km from Lao Cai city center. This market is a place to buy and sell indigenous products of the Mong, Giay, Hoa,…

At Can Cau market, there is no mixing of products from China but mainly agricultural products such as honey, corn, sugarcane,…; brocade products, livestock. In particular, Can Cau Market is also the largest buffalo market in the Northern mountainous provinces. Each market session has hundreds of buffaloes from all over the highland villages.

Meo Vac weekly market (Ha Giang)

Location: Meo Vac Town, Dong Van, Ha Giang
Time: Every Sunday
Because it is located in the center of town, the market here always attracts a large number of people to participate in Vietnam Private Tours. Every market week, people will wake up early to bring goods here to serve trading activities. At this market, a lot of livestock such as cows, mountain goats, and underarm pigs are sold. In particular, this is also the focal point for meat supply to all neighboring provinces.

This place has become a convergence of cultural features of highland people in the rocky plateau region. Here visitors can admire the brightly colored brocade costumes and detailed patterns handcrafted by compatriots.

Read more: The top attractions to visit in Ha Giang

Dao San weekly market (Lai Chau)

Location: Dao San, Phong Tho, Lai Chau
Time: Every Thursday and Sunday
Dan San Market is a place for exchange, trade, and exchanges between 8 communes of Phong Tho district, which many people still call the 8 “border bow” communes in the North. People here are mainly ethnic minorities in the Northern highlands such as H’Mong, Ha Nhi, Dao, etc. The unique feature of Dao San market is the cheerful and bustling atmosphere. The rhythm is like going to a festival. You can see images of boys and girls performing Khen dances, singing responses and exchanging love songs, playing folk games,…

Coming to Dao San market, remember to buy and enjoy famous specialties of highland people such as five-color sticky rice, fragrant sticky rice, Mac Khen, cardamom, honey, dishes from stolen pigs. armpit,…

Ta Sin Thang weekly market (Dien Bien)

Location: Ta Sin Thang Valley, Ta Sin Thang Commune, Tua Chua District, Dien Bien
Time: Rat day and Horse day of every month according to the lunar calendar, meeting every 6 days.
The market is a trading place for all people in Ta Sin Thang and surrounding areas. The market has a long history since the French colonial period. The items in the market are mainly agricultural products, clothes, and production tools made by the people themselves. This is also a place to preserve the unique cultural identity of ethnic minorities, especially the Mong people.

Ta Sin Thang market brings together all the colors of the Northwest market. For many generations, Ta Sin Thang market has not only been a place to buy, sell and gather, but also a real festival for the people here. In addition to Mong Pe wine, goat meat and Shan Tuyet tea are two famous specialties at Ta Sin Thang market. This land currently preserves thousands of ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees with large tree diameters.

Read more: 6 notes when traveling to the Northern Mountains in Vietnam

Each Northern weekly market has its own beauty and cultural imprint, promising visitors interesting and valuable experiences throughout their journey to explore Northern tourism in Vietnam Customized Tours. Try once in your life to come and visit the Northwest highland markets, you will definitely find it very interesting and unique.

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