Bac Ha Sunday Market in Sa Pa

Far from Lao Cai city about 65km, Bac Ha Market belongs to Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province. This market is the biggest and most colorful one in the northwest. Here is among the unusual place where preserved national characters as well as original characteristic of old market-days.

On the road, the tourist will see high mountains, deep chasms and rice paddy-fields. Sometimes, the visitor stops for a while to take photograph the imposing and impressive natural scenery; they also could meet groups of minority people who are laughing while bringing the goods on the carriage into market-days for selling. To arrive market on-time, they have to go in the early morning, even there are some people start going on the previous day till next afternoon.

Before, Bac Ha Market meets on the gentle sloped hill; after that it was built on the cement foundation and divided on many places for selling. Therefore it lost to some extent the primitive beauty. Here is sold all the specialties of the mountain area which are necessary things for daily-life of minority people such as plough, hoe, shovel, knife, vegetable, fruit, bee’s honey… However, the attractive things with woman of minority people and traveler are jewel, dress, clothes and brocade fabric… You could choose the brocade fabric product by yourself here; you also will be fond of the colorful clothes of Mong people’s girls, Red-Dao people’s girls…The foreigners are so interested in the paintings which are handicraft textile with the lively vignettes, eye-catching and harmonious colors.

Bac Ha market is also the place where the guys meet and drink wine together. This kind of wine is the local specialty of Mong people; it is well-know with the specific taste. Horse selling place is most attractive with the males; they come here from other far regions or even another province. In the noisy sound of business, there is sound of pan-pipe and singing of young guys.

The traveler who come Bac Ha market, especially foreigners are so pleasure with new discovering about the custom as well as life of minority groups here.

Bac ha market is among the unusual place where preserved national characters as well as original characteristic of old market-days. Come to here, you will see the ingenuous faces in colorful minority clothes.