Sapa Market
Location:
Sapa Market is in Sapa Town, Sapa District, Lao Cai
Province, Vietnam.
Characteristics:
This market of the H’Mong and Red Dao
minorities takes place every Saturday night. The market is a place for trading
and exchanging local goods and products, as well as a meeting place for young
people who seek partners by singing love songs and playing pan-pipes and mouth
organs.
When the sun goes down, the H’Mong
and Red Dao boys and girls cluster together in groups of five to ten. Looking
and smiling at each other, they sit side by side in the dim yellow light and
sing and talk through the night. When they have met their soul mate, they
exchange gifts and make plans to see each other again the following week.
This cultural activity has a long history and is still significant in the modern
life of the minority people. The Sapa Market is an attractive place for visitors
who are keen on exploring traditional cultures.
Source: Vietnam Administration of Tourism |