The Unique Market of Bao La Highlands

As usual, every Friday is market day in Bao La Commune. The bustling market comes to life even when the fog still blankets the mountains and forests. It is not only a place for trade but also a venue for people to meet, exchange stories, and a place for young couples to make connections, creating a vibrant cultural portrait in the highland region.

Before the sun rises, people of all ages from the highland villages dress in their traditional clothing, eagerly immersing themselves in the atmosphere of the market. Along the roads, market vendors quickly set up their stalls, arranging goods in anticipation of customers.

The agricultural products made by local people are sold at the Bao La market.

Having spent more than half his life as a blacksmith, Mr. Ha Cong Song from the Hich hamlet brings his handmade farming tools to the market every week to sell to local residents. These handcrafted products are forged and tempered to ensure durability, sharpness, and creativity, meeting the needs of the community. Depending on the model and type, the prices of these items range from 100,000 to 300,000 VND. As an agricultural production area, Mr. Song’s traditional farming tools are often in high demand and sell out quickly.

Farm tools sold at the market serve the daily living and production needs of the local people.

According to local residents, the Bao La market was established in the late 1980s to facilitate the exchange of goods among the highland people, mainly the Thai, Muong, and Mong ethnic groups. Unlike regular markets, this market only opens on Fridays to allow locals to stock up on goods for the week. The market opens at dawn and closes by midday. During holidays and festivals, the Bao La market is open all day to meet the shopping needs of the people.

Each product and item sold at the market is a result of the hard work, diligence, and perseverance of the highland people, representing the unique local products. The selling method is simple and unpretentious; the locals spread out their goods on the ground using what they have available. Despite its simplicity, the market offers a variety of delicious and unique items from the mountains and forests, including fresh agricultural products like vegetables, tubers, fruits, and black pigs from Muong Pa, as well as handmade textiles and crafts. Despite the changes of modern life, the Bao La market still preserves the traditional cultural features that not every place can maintain.

The Bao La market is most bustling in the food stalls. The aroma of local dishes, rich in highland flavors and smoke-filled, seems to captivate both shoppers and tourists. All of this creates a vivid picture of the distinct cultural identity and traditions of the highland market.

Visit Bao La in the late year to enjoy the picturesque, peaceful beauty of the Thai people’s villages, and don’t forget to experience the market — a place that preserves the local cultural traits, deeply rooted in the highland region.

The Bustling Bao La Market

The Bao La market is most bustling in the food stalls. The aroma of local dishes, rich in highland flavors and smoke-filled, seems to captivate both shoppers and tourists. All of this creates a vivid picture of the distinct cultural identity and traditions of the highland market.

Visit Bao La in the late year to enjoy the picturesque, peaceful beauty of the Thai people’s villages, and don’t forget to experience the market — a place that preserves the local cultural traits, deeply rooted in the highland region.

Duc Anh