Location: Sapa Market is in Sapa Town, Sapa District, Lao Cai Province.
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.
