Meeting the Women of Bac Ha’s Crowded Sunday Market

Like many other highland markets, the Bac Ha market (Lao Cai) is held every Sunday morning. Most of the marketers are ethnic Mong. The costumes of the girls make up a vibrant, glamorous area.

• Sapa Trekking to Ethnic Markets and Villages 3 Days
• The Largest Buffalo Market Fair in the Northwestern of Vietnam

Photo by collect on the internet

Mong women are very attentive to their dresses. A dress can take up to a year to complete, from spinning, spinning, and finally dressing. The Mong women's outfit is very colorful, taking the red color as mainstream. From the distance, the market is highlighted by hundreds of gowns from Mong women. This is a unique feature that makes visitors very excited.

At the break of dawn, the market begins to hum with conversations and laughter. As the sun rises higher, the whole market is adorned with the colorful costumes of Mong women. It is not just a trading place but also a meeting place where young men and women find their partners. For them, the market is a like a festival, so they wear their most beautiful clothes when they go to the market.

Bac Ha market is divided into different sections offering different types of goods like brocade weaving products, food, horses, buffalos, poultry, birds, and wine. Each section has its own atmosphere and sounds. The section that sells buffaloes, oxen, and horses is the most crowded place in the market.

Photo by collect on the internet

Local brocade weaving products hand-made by local women are greatly desired by customers. Colorful clothes are displayed with silver and brass accessories like bracelets and rings.

Local people in Lao Cai don’t go to Bac Ha Market just to shop. It’s also an opportunity for them to leave their mountain and enjoy local specialties like corn alcohol, ‘the men men’ or steamed corn flour, and ‘thang co’ or soup made of spiced horse entrails.

A famous dish that you should not miss when visiting Bac Ha market is “thang co”. It is a kind of hot pot including innards, bones, fat and meat from a cow, buffalo or horse. Moreover, you can also try some wine made from the fermentation of a local leaf named “hong my”, together with a special dish of bean soup served with corn flour.

It’s also a place to meet friends. Authentic, original and charming - Bac Ha Market is really worth a visit.

Coming and enjoying the unique of Bac Ha market in Lao Cai province would be an unforgettable experience for those who are looking for new things of life!