Muong Hum market is located in the center of Muong Hum Commune, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province which is held every Sunday morning.
During the day, ethnic groups from distant villages in the mountains of Muong Vi, Gia Lan, Ty come to this market very early for trading and meeting after a long week. Ethnics go to the market on foot, motorbike or horse ... They get dressed according to their traditional clothes. The hospitality and kindness of ethnic minorities make the market more attractive.
The typical Muong Hum is identical to Bac Ha and Muong Khuong markets, which are held every Sunday, but the Muong Hum market is less touristy.
Y TY MARKET
Y Ty's market is only held every Saturday morning and this market is the meeting place and trade of the ethnic groups of Ha Nhi, White H'mongs and some others ... This market is smaller than Coc Ly, Can Cau and Muong Hum markets but it is still very authentic and less touristy. You will find wide range local products: vegetables, clothes, rice, potatoes, apples, bamboo shoot... It will be perfect if you combine the visit of Y Ty's market with the hikes in the ethnic villages around Y Ty.
Coc Ly's market
The typical Coc Ly market is attractive because of not only its size and romantic style, but also the authenticity, colors and atmosphere. Sometimes you come go with a product which does not cost you a dime because of product exchanging type.
Located 12 km from the center of Bac Ha city, Lao Cai province, on the banks of the Chay River, the market is opened every Tuesday morning which is opposed to some Northwestern markets. Coc Ly's market also preserves the intact culture of the markets as a meeting and entertainment place.
Coc Ly is not as big as Bac Ha but plays a very important role for the locals. There are many products sold such as plum, honey, dried bamboo shoots, melon, forest strawberries ... and many household items latter are brought from other places or imported from China.
Here, sometimes buyers and sellers randomly exchange goods without paying. A packet of detergent can be exchanged by a basket of peppers; or horse’s carts in exchange to buffalo plow...
It is really great to buy brocade handbags, or rings, silver earrings which are handcrafted in the sophisticated way. However, the impressive scenery is beautiful ethnic girls at this market.
At noon, sellers and buyers go into tents to enjoy food and corn wine. Thang Long is a traditional dish of the H'Mong people made from the heart, liver, meat, bones of different cattle such as buffalo, horses and pigs. The food is served in a large pot with hot water. When eating, you can add chopped vegetables to make the food tastier. Men and women come to the market to enjoy the victory and wine (sometimes they are happy to be drunk).
Tourists can visit the wine kiosks to try the corn wine and boiled salted meat and chat in the Kinh language with the ethnic groups that still preserve the wildness of the mountainous areas.
However, sometimes eating is just a little thing for the women but buying a new dress is even important. The girls come here together to buy beautiful dresses.
Near the city road from Bac Ha to Coc Ly, tourists can go by boat on Chay River, cross the Bao Nhai Bridge, take the road about 3km to the market. If you choose traveling via river, you should ask people in Bac Ha in advance to know the means of transport between the pier and the market.