Bac Ha Market
Experience code: EthosBacHa
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”
About the market:
Bac Ha Market is one of the biggest and most well known in all of North Vietnam. The energy and colour of the Flower Hmong People give the area a unique vibrancy. Bac Ha Market is at its finest very early as the local minority tribes bring their livestock, wares and rice wine to sell each week. Although there are things to buy in the form of handicrafts and souvenirs, the best quality products can be found in Sapa. Bac Ha Market is not really a place for shopping, but is a great location to visit if you are happy to people watch and take in the energy and vibrancy of the occasion.
Many different ethnic groups such as Flower Hmong, Phu La, Tay and Nung minorities gather to buy and sell local products that cannot be found elsewhere. This makes the market a portrait photographers dream. Indeed most locals paid little attention to you, rather choosing to focus on their business and the short Sunday-sized window of opportunity.
Many different ethnic groups such as Flower Hmong, Phu La, Tay and Nung minorities gather to buy and sell local products that cannot be found elsewhere. This makes the market a portrait photographers dream. Indeed most locals paid little attention to you, rather choosing to focus on their business and the short Sunday-sized window of opportunity.
Two Day Bac Ha Special (Saturday and Sunday only)
Day 1:
Travel from Sapa towards Bac Ha district with a stop off for lunch and a river boat ride on the Chay River. 6km upstream, we will have the opportunity to visit Fairy Cave - closely connected with a legend about 3 fairies who hid there. When the God of thunder trod on and destroyed part of the mountain where the three fairies were hiding, they were unable to escape and perished. Their spirits drifted down the Chay river towards Bao Nhai village where local people built a sacred temple called Ba Co (Three Girls).
In the afternoon, we will continue towards Bac Ha town and have the chance to visit the Hmong King Palace.
Accommodation is in a local homestay.
Day 2:
Nestled in the northern hills of Vietnam exists one of the best ethnic markets in all of Southeast Asia. Home to the flower Hmong, each Sunday, the ethnic minorities from the surrounding villages and hills come by foot, motorbike, horse, or water buffalo for their chance to socialise, eat, drink, smoke, get a haircut, and buy produce and meat for the next week. It is a blur of colourful plaids and stripes. Sunday morning starts early with breakfast and refreshments before we enter the fray of the busting market. We will have the opportunity to try a variety of local delicacies as well as meet the local traders. One of the highlights is the livestock area, with many animals such as horses, pigs and buffalo traded each weekend. The market visit will also see us choose local, seasonal food for lunch before heading up into the mountains to visit the La Chi people.
The La Chi are one of the lesser known of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minority groups. They have a population numbering approximately 12,000 people and live a sedentary life that revolves around village settlements. The La Chi are the longest inhabitants living in both Ha Giang and Lao Cai provinces. It is impossible to say which ethnic group first engineered the majestic terraced rice fields, but the La Chi have ancient folk stories that mention terraces. They are now experts at cultivating land and working on wet rice cultivation. Other fields are reserved for planting indigo, cotton and more recently cinnamon as a cash crop.
General knowledge and popular experience are orally passed down from generation to generation. There is a rich treasure of legends and fairy tales that explain to young people the wonders of natural and cultural phenomenon. Typical La Chi homes are built on stilts with three distinct zones creating a unique architectural mix of a stilt house, where the family live, a cooking area on ground level and and a storehouse, all built in a relatively small space. The roof unites all three sections. La Chi women usually wear a four-panelled hand woven cotton long dress with splits in front, and an embroidered bodice with a cloth belt. There is also a long headdress, along with a pair of trousers or a skirt. Intricate silk details are embroidered into the head scarf and on the lapels.
Travel from Sapa towards Bac Ha district with a stop off for lunch and a river boat ride on the Chay River. 6km upstream, we will have the opportunity to visit Fairy Cave - closely connected with a legend about 3 fairies who hid there. When the God of thunder trod on and destroyed part of the mountain where the three fairies were hiding, they were unable to escape and perished. Their spirits drifted down the Chay river towards Bao Nhai village where local people built a sacred temple called Ba Co (Three Girls).
In the afternoon, we will continue towards Bac Ha town and have the chance to visit the Hmong King Palace.
Accommodation is in a local homestay.
Day 2:
Nestled in the northern hills of Vietnam exists one of the best ethnic markets in all of Southeast Asia. Home to the flower Hmong, each Sunday, the ethnic minorities from the surrounding villages and hills come by foot, motorbike, horse, or water buffalo for their chance to socialise, eat, drink, smoke, get a haircut, and buy produce and meat for the next week. It is a blur of colourful plaids and stripes. Sunday morning starts early with breakfast and refreshments before we enter the fray of the busting market. We will have the opportunity to try a variety of local delicacies as well as meet the local traders. One of the highlights is the livestock area, with many animals such as horses, pigs and buffalo traded each weekend. The market visit will also see us choose local, seasonal food for lunch before heading up into the mountains to visit the La Chi people.
The La Chi are one of the lesser known of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minority groups. They have a population numbering approximately 12,000 people and live a sedentary life that revolves around village settlements. The La Chi are the longest inhabitants living in both Ha Giang and Lao Cai provinces. It is impossible to say which ethnic group first engineered the majestic terraced rice fields, but the La Chi have ancient folk stories that mention terraces. They are now experts at cultivating land and working on wet rice cultivation. Other fields are reserved for planting indigo, cotton and more recently cinnamon as a cash crop.
General knowledge and popular experience are orally passed down from generation to generation. There is a rich treasure of legends and fairy tales that explain to young people the wonders of natural and cultural phenomenon. Typical La Chi homes are built on stilts with three distinct zones creating a unique architectural mix of a stilt house, where the family live, a cooking area on ground level and and a storehouse, all built in a relatively small space. The roof unites all three sections. La Chi women usually wear a four-panelled hand woven cotton long dress with splits in front, and an embroidered bodice with a cloth belt. There is also a long headdress, along with a pair of trousers or a skirt. Intricate silk details are embroidered into the head scarf and on the lapels.
One Day Trip
Please note that ETHOS no longer endorse visits to Bac Ha Market as a day trip. The biggest factor for us is travel times and location in relation to Sapa. ETHOS realise that the market might seem attractive, primarily due to good marketing by the Hanoi agencies and guidebooks, but be be aware that most of those selling the trip in Hanoi have never actually visited the market. Our STRONG RECOMMENDATION is to avoid seeing Bac Ha as a day trip starting in Sapa. These tourist group packages simply aren't worth the hassle. Not only will you spend up to 6 hours in a minibus, but you will also arrive too late to see Bac Ha Market in all its glory. Expect the minibuses to be crowded and both the drivers and guides are predominantly Vietnamese who come up from the lowlands seeking work. We are strong advocates of using skilled local guides and therefore do not provide such group tours. If this is something you are looking for, there are many other tour companies that provide such trips.
Every ETHOS experience strongly reflects what we believe constitutes a balanced cultural exchange.
Every ETHOS experience strongly reflects what we believe constitutes a balanced cultural exchange.
