Sapa is also famous for its love market, which takes place on saturday
evenings. The love market of Sapa used to be the place to find a
partner to get married. With the tourism, the real love market does not
take place anymore. Currently you can only see a representation of the
love market. Do not miss it anyway if you are staying here a saturday
night.
Young Red Dzao hill tribe used to come to Sapa to sing songs to the
opposite sex. Girls sang the songs hidden in the dark, when a boy found
them, and if they matched together, they disappeared into the forest
for three days. Some of them got married after that.
While Dao
women are indeed highly industrious, the men, it seems, prefer to spend
most of their time drinking, smoking opium or sleeping, only
occasionally slapping the rump of a lethargic bovine moving more slowly
than they are. Few of their songs, though, are about drinking, smoking
opium, sleeping or slapping rumps.
Currently you may spot some
young locals singing in the dark, but they are not looking for a
partner, they are looking for you. They will sing a song, and ask for a
tip afterwards.
