Ethnic Markets near Sapa in Lao Cai Province
1 – Sapa Market
Sapa Market located at the center of Sapa town and and is opened every day. But
it is most crowded on Saturday late afternoon and evening
Before the French built Sapa town into a town, the market place was on the sandy
ground about 7 km east of the town now, at the junction of the main road to Lao
Cai and the trail to Ta Phin Village. Until 1980s, when the population of the
region was small and transportation was very poor, It was really hard to
communicate among villages, the market offered probably the only chances once a
week for H’mong and Red Zao peoples to meet others. The main market took place
on Sunday but many went to the market the afternoon before because their
villages were too far and it took many hours to go on foot. Of course there were
no accommodation for rent then, so for passing the night they gathered around
fire talking, playing their traditional music, dancing… Gradually these
activities attracted the youngsters from villages near by to come and turned the
market into a dating place for lovers. Nowadays, due to fast development in the
region to make it easy for locals to communicate among villages, as a result,
the market in Sapa has been becoming less important spiritually. However, it is
still crowded every weekend and worthwhile to spend few hours to join local for
a life experience.
2 – Bac Ha Market
Opened every Sunday at the center of Bac Ha township, this is the biggest ethnic
market in Lao Cai Province and probably among some most interesting ones in the
northern mountains. Some thousands peoples from ethnic groups including Black
Zao, Tay, Phu La and Flower H’mong wearing their best traditional clothes attend
the market to turn it into a kind of festival. Commodity sold at the market is
varied from embroidered clothes, handicraft, farming produces, food… to poultry
and cattle such as vegetable, spices, chili, chicken, cat, piggy, doggy… At the
market place, after finishing their shopping, peoples gathered into groups at
footstalls or restaurants enjoying “Thang Co” a kind of H’mong traditional
specialty, drinking corn wine and talking cheerfully.
Some hundred meters away from the main market place is the buffaloes and horses
market and it is really interesting to see the buyers carefully searching in
order to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the animals before buying
because a buffalo or horse is a real important property in their farming work.
The best time to join the market is from 09.00 to 12.00 but it is fascinating to
spend few hours earlier to see the people along the trail to the Bc Ha Market .
It is worthwhile to spend at least a day and night here to explore some ethnic
villages nearby and joining the locals for the best market for a memorable
experience.
* Bac Ha is located 70 km, northeast of Lao Cai City and take about 2 hours
by road; 105 km from Sapa and takes 3 hours to go by road.
3 – Muong Hum Market on Sunday
Muong Hum is a large and important market in the northwest region of Lao Cai
Province. Very different from Bac Ha and Sapa market which lye inside the
district townships, Muong Hum is set on open flat land at the bottom of a large
and scenic valley by a small river and surrounded by terraced rice paddies. It
is often empty and quiet on the other weekday, waken up and busy on Sunday. This
market is well-known as one of the most interesting Sunday market in Lao Cai
province and possibly a good alternative trip to Bac Ha market for visitors
thanks to the very large variety of the ethnic minority peoples to attend and
quite easy to be distinguished through their traditional clothes. The flower
H’mong wear thick embroidered yellow and red skirts and blouses while the Red
H’mong prefer thinner red embroidered patterns on light batik background; In
contrast, the Black H’mong in dark indigo with just some decorative motive at
the end of the shirt sleeves and round the neck. Red Zao and Zao Tuyen wear
black trousers and shirts with fine yellow embroidery motifs and pay much
attention to the decoration to their headgears including silver chains and
bells. There are also many Zay, Tay and Ha Nhi people joining the market who
wear less colorful clothes but no less beautiful.
* The road trip to Muong Hum takes 2.5 hours from Sapa(75km) and 1.5 hour
from Lao Cai although the distant is only 42km due to tough road.
4 – Can Cau Market
Can Cau is a rural ethnic market, simply set up on the open ground at the
side of a mountain, looking down a picturesque valley about 20 km north of Bac
Ha. It is every Saturday morning when hundreds of ethnic peoples mainly Flower
H’mong gather to sell their farming products and buy necessities. The market’s
most colorful part is clothes section with shirts, blouses, skirts…or parts of
the traditional costumes with embroidery patterns in different motifs lying on
dark batik background but may be the most interesting section is the tobacco and
wine section when buyers are allowed to taste the product before buying and many
men get too drunk to buy anything more!
In the perfect light of the early morning, It is not only the colorful market
and the peoples but also the beautiful surrounding nature make the visit here an
unforgettable trip, especially for nature lovers and photo hunters.
* The road ride takes 30 minutes from Bac Ha(22km), nearly 3 hours from Lao
Cai(90km) and about 4 hours from Sapa(Aprox 130km).
5 – Coc Ly Market on every Tuesday
Same as Can Cau,Coc Ly is a small rural market nested itself off the
beaten track amongst green and fabulous forest, on a bank of the Chay River. At
the crowded hours from 09.00 to 11.00, the market place is dominated by the red
and yellow colors from traditional costumes of the Flower H’mong women, dotted
with black color of the Black Zao and dark blue from the Tay. The H’mong and Zao
from up mountain villages come to the market mainly on foot with their horses
carrying their selling while the Tay live along the Chay River use their wooden
boats. The best way for tourists is to take the road trip to the market and the
boat downstream the Chay River for a few hours to explore this untouched area.
* the road trip takes 1.5 hour from Lao Cai or Bac Ha( About 55km) and 2 and
a half hours from Sapa( 90km)
6 – Cao Son Market on Wednesday
Upstream the Chay River about 25 km to the north of Coc Ly market, near Chinese
border, the remote Caoson is simply set in a fascinating nature and
surrounded mountains which covered by lush plantation and terraced rice paddies
and cornfields. Most the participants are Flower H’mong, Black Zao, Nung, Tu Di,
Pa Di ethnic form villages in the surrounding region but many come from China to
add more colors to the market. Cheerful and smiling faces are everywhere at the
market place and the peoples behave like close friends meeting again after long
time away. It is easy to realize women from different groups through traditional
costumes they wear while men’s dress are similar.
More over, a trip here to the market in combine with exploring and visiting the
villages nearby is a special offer to those who dare to forget modern facilities
of city life and dedicate time and energy to the discovery of the local
traditional values.
* The road trip here takes about 2 and a half hours from Lao Cai (75km) and
3 and a half hours from Sapa(115Km)
7 – Muong Khuong Market on Sunday
Bordering with Chinese Yunnan Procince, Muong Khuong is a district of Lao Cai
Province which is home to a diversity of ethnic minority groups including H’mong,
Zao, Nung, Pa Zi and Tu Zi. Located at the center of the township, Muong Khuong
, the most important market of the local ethnic peoples takes place on every
Sunday, is always crowded with some thousands minority people from early
morning. The H’mong and the Zao peoples, especially women are always wear their
best colorful traditional costume and take the largest number. The Tu Zi and
Pazi are of minor number but their traditional costume are of special model with
dark color and high top hats. There are also many ethnic minority people come
from the other side of the border, who often bring cheap Chinese made commodity
to add to the variety of goods for sales at the market. Beside a collection of
most popular commodity such as clothes, vegetable, food, farming tools, animals…
which can be found in other market in the regions, some local specialties can be
found at Muong Khuong Market including resin, incense made from tree bark, and
medicinal herb for treatment together with acupuncture. Our one day trip to
Muong Khuong from Sapa or from Lao Cai for those clients taking Saturday night
train from Hanoi offers not only a chance to join the ethnic locals at this
impressive market but also many opportunities to pay visiting to near by
villages and admiring stunning scenery around the region.
* Muong
Khuong is 50km from Lao Cai, 1.5 hour to drive and 87km from Sapa, which takes
approximately 2.5 hours.
8 – Pha Long Market Saturday
Locating just few kilometers away from Chinese border, on a hill top amongst
perfect nature setting, the Pha Long market is a very rural and seldom
visited by tourists. Every Saturday morning, local peoples from H,mong, Zao, Zay,
Pa Zi, Tu Zi and Tu Lao, the 3 small branches of the Bo Y group with just some
thousands inhabitants, living in the villages along the border gather.
Attending the market, It is quite easy to realize that many peoples at the
market know one another well because the population of the region is small and
relationship among the people is strongly maintained. The market often over
around noon and it is a great experience to follow some local to their village
near by for an interesting discovery of local culture and living way. The market
surrounding area offers breathtaking scenery of the mountain terrain featuring
with lush forest, pine plantations and terraced rice paddies which dominated the
low land and valleys.
* It takes 2 hours by road from Lao Cai town (68km) and 3 hours from Sapa
95km.
9 – Tam Duong & Binh Lu Market
On the west side of Hoang Lien Son mountain range in the territory of Lai Chau
Province, there are two regional market being set up in the two lush valley Binh
Lu and Tam Duong. The ethnic minority peoples who are different from those in
Sapa are Black Zao, Zao with coins, Red H’mong and especially the Lu and Lao,
whose ancestors were believed to be originated from a tribal living in Laos.
With a population as small as some four thousands inhabitants the Lu and Lao
people live in some large villages including some hundred houses built on stilts
near rivers and stream, cultivating wet rice, corn and beans. Every day, early
morning or late in the afternoon, a large number of Red H’mong and Lu often
carry their gathering from the forest including mushroom, bamboo shoot, fire
wood or medicinal herbs to the market in Binh Lu township about 45km from Sapa
by road.
Being set up just on the side of the main road and surrounded by steep mountains
and hills covered with green tea plantation, the Tam Duong market is held on
every Thursdays. It is not as big and colorful as the markets in Bac Ha and
Muong Hum and crowded on some moths from September to April but is worth to
spend an hour attending these 2 markets as additional activity to the Northwest
trip.
* The road trip here takes about 3 hours from Lao Cai (127km) and 1 and a
half hours from Sapa(90Km)
10 - Lung Khau Nhin Market
Taking place every Thursday, Lung Khau Nhin Market is a small market
hiding itself amongst the mountains and forests of the far north Vietnam about
10 km from the border with China. Although not being so big or famous among
visitors as Coc Ly and Can Cau, Lung Khau Nhin market, be side a normal shopping
place, play an important role to spiritual life of local ethnic peoples Flower
H’mong, Black Zao, Zay, and especially to those who come from very small ethnic
groups such as Pa Zi, Tou Zi, Tou Lao who live in small and isolated villages
around this corner of the country, come for meeting, socializing...
From Lao Cai: 65Km and takes nearly 2 hours by road; From Sapa: 102km and
takes about 3 hours by road
11 - Lung Phin Market
If most of the mountain markets in Vietnam happen on weekend, Lung Phin is a
different one which is rich local culture meaning. This is based on the date of
12 animal designations in clued Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare/Rabbit, Dragon, Snake,
Horse, Sheep/Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. This market is every day of
Monkey and Tiger.
From the late afternoon of the day before the Flower H’mong, Black Zao, Tay and
Phu La peoples gather here from the surrounding areas and have one night meeting
friends who come from other villages. The old people talk about their family,
children, works…while young people talk about love and marriage…some of them
would come with instruments and dance to warm up the cold night.
The market is right on the hillside near the main road between Bac Ha and Can
Cau with some thatched huts where at the corner they tie animals.
* Lung Phin market is 12km from Bac Ha, 82km from Lao Cai and about 120km from Sapa
12 - Si Ma Cai Market on Sunday
Hiding itself in the mountains and forest at the far end of a tough road,Si Ma
Cai Market is often referred to as one of the remotest tribal market of
the region and rarely visited by tourists.
The name Simacai means “ horse market” in H’mong language and old peoples said
that It was the biggest horse market of the region. However, life is changing
fast and horses are not the only purchasing objects nowadays.
The market place is simply a large ground near the recently developed town let
of Simacai District with some thatched huts built to accommodate shops and food
stalls. Every Sunday, Simacai market attracts some thousands of Flower H’mong,
Zao, Phu La peoples from villages in the region come to shopping, enjoying
themselves meeting friends and relatives…after hard working days. They spend
most of their time at the market talking, chatting and also drinking a lot.
* Simacai is 27km from Bac Ha, 98km from Lao Cai City and 135km from Sapa
Sapa Budget Tours
- Sapa Day Tours - Sapa Day Excursions - Day Trips Sapa Vietnam
- Sapa Walk and Bac ha Market
- Sapa Hard Trekking Two
- Sapa Hard Trekking One
- Sapa Medium Trek Two
- Sapa Medium Trek
Sapa Trekking and Adventures
- Fansipan peak conquering VIP tour (3 days - 2 nights)
- Fansipan peak conquering VIP tour (2 days - 1 nights)
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- Fansipan peak conquering Deluxe tour (3 days - 2 nights)
- Fansipan peak conquering Deluxe tour (2 days - 1 nights)
- Fansipan peak conquering Standard tour (4 days - 3 nights)
Sapa Cycling Options
- Sapa - Binh Lu - Lai Chau(with biking)
- Sapa - Lao Chai - Ta Van - Ban Ho
- Sapa Biking Tour - Ban Ho Village
- Sapa Biking Tour - Binh Lu - Lai Chau
- SaPa - Bac Ha Market with biking
- Pedalling The Remote Sapa\'s Northwest
Sapa Luxury Holidays
Traditional Minority Discovery Packages
- Green Sapa bus (Hanoi – Sapa)
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- Private car Hanoi Sapa
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- Coc Ly market with boat trip
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Sapa Classic Trips
Northern Mountain Discovery Packages
Topas Ecolodge Sapa tours
- Topas Ecolodge and Market Package 3D/4N
- Topas Ecolodge and Market Package-2D/3N
- Topas Ecolodge and Victoria Sapa Package – 4D/5N
- Topas Ecolodge and Victoria Sapa Package – 3D/4N
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