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.

Bac Ha Market

Pha Long market

Very rural seldom visited market, where you can meet ethnic groups that are only found in this particular district of Vietnam, mostly Hmong, Nung, Tou Zi, Pa Zi and Tou Lao. Along the road, in a landscape of mountain peaks, numerous Nung et Hmong villages. Lots of traditional houses with baked earth tiled roofs.

Pha Long market, Saturday morning from 6 a.m. to twelve.

Binh Lu & Tam Duong Market

Binh Lu and Tam Duong market is located on the other side of Sapa, passing the 1900 meter Tram Ton pass, Viet Nam's highest mountain pass and considered the most beautiful stretch of road in the country. The town is bustling with activity as the local hill tribes gather for their weekly market day, amazing tribal markets in Binh Lu where thousand of Thai Kadai language groups such as Tai Lu, Tai Laos, White Tai, and H'mong - Yao group (black Yao, Yao Lantien..), Giay, Khomu.. comes to buy and sell their own produces.

Every Sunday from 8 am to 1 pm.

Can Cau Market

Can Cau Market is a small, but very colourful market, set in the mountains near the Chinese border. The Flower Hmong minority is the most common here, and their colourful dresses makes is a beautiful sight.

Coc Ly Market

Leaving Sa Pa early Tuesday morning or picked up in Lao Cai arriving with the train from Hanoi, we drive with land cruiser to Coc Ly Market. The drive from SaPa will take us approx. 2 1/2 hour. We visit the market with all it's colourful ethnic people such as Flower Hmong, Phu La and Dao Tuyen who gathers to buy and sell.

Before lunch we go on a short trek to the nearby village of Sa Koun Ho which is inhabited by the Flower Hmong and Black Dao minority.

We enjoy lunch in a local restaurant before we leave Coc Ly and drive to Trung Do village - inhabited by Tay minority. From the village we go by boat down the river, where we experience the magnificent sight of the beautiful caves and bustling life on the riverbank. The boat trip takes us about 2-2 1/2 hours before we are picked up by our jeep. The jeep takes us back to Sa Pa or to Lao Cai train station depending of your wishes.

Lung Phin market

This small market is between Can Can market and Bac Ha town, about 12km from the town. It's less busy than other markets, and is open on Sunday. It is a good place lo move onto once the tour buses arrive in Bac Ha from Sapa, and has a very real feel.If most of the mountain markets in Vietnam happen on weekend, Lung Phin is a different one which is rich local culture meaning. This is based on the date of 12 animal designations in clued Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare/Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep/Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. This market is every day of Monkey and Tiger.

From the late afternoon of the day before the people gather here from the surrounding areas and who have one night meeting friends who come from other villages. The old people talk about their family, children, works…while young people talk about love and mariage…some of them would come with instruments and dance to warm up the cold night.

The morning begins earlier than normal day with sound of people talking, chatting, laughing, singing, steeping…since the rooster announce first watch on all trails leading to the market.

The market is right on the hillside with some thatched huts where at the corner they tie animals.