Discover the unique culture of Bac Ha - Lao Cai fair market

Located 70km northeast of Lao Cai city, Bac Ha Bazaar has long been known as one of the most unique bazaars, imbued with community activities of the Northwestern highland people, where preserving unique traditional cultural identity values.
Bac Ha fair is just one session on Sunday every week and this is the place to exchange, exchange, buy and sell goods of 14 ethnic minorities living together in 21 communes and towns of Bac Ha district. and neighboring districts. With its own unique features, Bac Ha fair has been voted as one of the 10 most unique markets in Southeast Asia.
When the wild chicken had just cried, the boys, the girls, the old men and the whole small group of children went on their way to the market together, the people from the commune had left the previous afternoon. Every week, the people who come to the market carry heavy loads of mountain produce: wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, shan snow tea, honey, wine, forest fruits, brocade clothes, jewelry , orchids, seedlings and bring along cattle, pigs. Bac Ha fair is the most crowded from 9am to 3pm, at that time, when people want to enter the market, they have to weave through the crowded people and for a long time Bac Bac market has really become a passion to explore the regional culture high of visitors four directions. 

Bac Ha fair used to be on a gentle hill, today it is built on concrete foundation in the center of Bac Ha town, Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province. Bac Ha fair is very large, often divided into many zones with specific characteristics of commodity products. The most outstanding is the brocade market where the brocade items are sold by the people here. Here you can choose to buy a few dresses, towels, bags, ... pretty small, bright colors hanging in the stall. Or enjoy choosing a few accessories such as rings, rings, tripod, ... with bold motifs "personality" very attractive mountains.
The market of vegetables, fruits and vegetables at Bac Ha fair is also very attractive with colorful colors of fresh red chillies, green vegetables, saffron beeswax, dark black shovels, etc. Here you can discover more strange and eye-catching items that may have never been seen before.

The cattle market area is always crowded, crowded, bustling with hundreds of buffaloes, cows and horses for sale. In addition, there is also a Bac Ha dog market with precious highland breeds, which are welcomed by pet lovers. Another corner is the Bac Ha bird market with many rare and precious bird species.

Especially, when coming to Bac Ha fair, you can also enjoy extremely unique and attractive dishes of ethnic minorities here in the culinary area.

Menom is a unique rice dish made from corn, this is a very typical dish of Bac Ha people because the main agricultural product here is corn. The corn kernels are separated and ground into flour until they are eaten, they will bring corn flour mixed with water and steamed. Bymen is sold in tight containers with banana leaves or nylon sitting around the market very easy to find.

Bac Ha corn pancake is made from small corn, packed in a large pot, when eaten, the seller will cut it up to add broth and served with onions, forest vegetables and chili. At Bắc Hà fair, you will love it.

Another traditional delicacy of Bac Ha can not help but eat when wandering in Bac Ha fair market is pho. Pho Bac Ha has many types such as sour pho, cooked pho, mixed pho, ... made from red rice - a type of rice grown only in Lung Phinh, Bac Ha. Pho is more delicious when served with meat, pickles, herbs, chili, salt.
The most special thing in the cuisine of the white plateau land is the Thang Co dish. Thang Co is a special dish of Mong people, the ethnic language called Khau tha or also means meat soup. According to the village elders in this area, the winning dish appeared a few hundred years ago when the Mong, Tay, Nung people moved to the Northwest region. But this dish is most famous in the fairs of the Mong people.

Thang tries to be made from many types of meat such as buffaloes, cows, and pigs, but the best is to win. The way to cook is simple but must have its own secret to cook delicious. The horse, after being pecked and cleansed, all the flesh and continental organs such as tendons, arms, heart, liver, hearts, meat, bones and bones were chopped up with two knuckles, then marinated. with traditional spices like nuts, cardamom, grilled pineapple ground. Wait for all of the spice to pour into a large saucepan to fry, wait a few minutes for the meat to be next, people fill the pan with water, and so on boiling boiling for hours, this time the spices Interwoven together to form a very characteristic aroma.

Following the mountain breeze, the scent of the winning food trying to spread from the beginning of the market to the end of the market made anyone happy to go to the market that day. Winning trying to squat, put food on the wooden board and eat with wooden ladles, besides there is always a bowl of pickled pickles with fresh chili. A piece of meat dotted with a spicy chili salt and a cup of corn wine is even more charming. The special thing is when trying to eat, still trying to heat the stove, eat as much as you want. Mong men often invite their friends to eat and try to eat, drink corn wine, women and children often bring enameled instant noodles to cook with. On the goal, there were always many things to say, but the most focus was on upland fields, cattle, and business people being warm.

Coming to the Northwest Market on a cold windy day, visitors will not be able to ignore the "national" feeling when swooping into a winning shop at the market, enjoying the aromatic horse meat and the cup of corn wine that copper Mong people often say, "Eating and fighting without drinking corn liquor is considered not to eat and win." Then when the fair is over, people still lingering on its delicious taste and warm love here.

And in the journey to explore the northwestern part of the country - Lao Cai, besides famous landmarks such as Fansipan, Ham Rong Mountain, Sapa Old Church ... the Bac Ha Fair Market is one of the attractive destinations. , it will give you interesting discoveries and experiences about the cultural identity of upland people.