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The main attraction in Bac Ha district is Bac Ha market. Located 70 km from
Lao
Cai, the frontier city with China. Taking place in each Sunday at Bac Ha
district, the Bac ha market is a destination not to be missed during the
adventure in high mountains in north of Vietnam.
In reality, the Bac Ha market is not only reserved for business but firstly it
is a place of news exchange, the meeting of ethnic groups as Flowery Hmong, Tay,
Phu La ... who come each Sunday in traditional costume that makes the Bac Ha
market the most multicolored in Vietnam.
Bac Ha market - Special features:
On the road to go there, visitors can meet the high mountains, deep ravines and
majestic rice terraces. You can stop to take pictures of natural beauty where
ethnic groups will come together for the fair. Sometimes, they have to go to Bac
ha market very early, they spend even the night before the beginning of the
market day.
In the past, the Bac Ha market happened on a hill. After, the new market was
built and divided into different spaces: Plows, hoes, shovels, knives,
vegetables, fruits, honey, spices...
But perhaps, the most attractive part for women, ethnic minorities and travelers
is selling of jewelry, skirts, shirts, brocade, charming rattan baskets… Here,
you can optionally choose products for yourself. You will be dazzled by the
bright colors of the dresses of girls of ethnic groups such as: H'mong, Dao. The
ornament patterns as the paintings are hand-woven, but very lively and full of
color harmony.
For men, the Bac Ha market or others in the high mountain, is also the
opportunity to get together, after a week, in restaurants, bistros for corn
alcohol consumption. Soup is always full in stoves with wine that cannot be
dried up in the cups. The corn alcohol that is one of specialties of the Ban pho
village is well known by the characteristic flavors. The part of the horses
attracts many men from villages around, even from the plain around
Hanoi.
In the animation of the fair, from somewhere, you will hear music performed by
men with mouths organs to attract girls. Once at the Bac Ha market, you'll
immerse yourself, in particular, in new discoveries about the life and customs
of local ethnic groups.
Bac Ha market is one of the few places that still preserves its cultural
identity. Here you can also see the goods but also jovial faces in colorful
traditional clothes of the ethnic groups who come to have fun together and also
with you. At the end of the day, when the market starts to end, the drunken men
lying on horses conducted by women is part of the image in the minds of each
visitors.
Getting there:
Bac Ha market belongs to the Lao Cai province which is easily accessible by road
from Lao Cai City (2 hours),
Sapa (3h),
Thac Ba Lake (4h), the Hanoi capital
(8h), Ha Giang (4 hours)...The easiest way is to take the night train from Hanoi
to Lao Cai where the car waits for you to Bac ha market or Sapa.
On this occasion, we offer you some walks: 1h, 1h 30, and 2h through authentic
villages of flowery Hmong to plunge in their daily rife life in the beautiful
landscapes of North Mountain.
If the lack of comfort doesn’t cause a problem for you (Bac Ha has only local
hotels), Guide Du Vietnam suggest you a Saturday night here to enjoy the Bac
Ha market in Sunday in maximum. |
