Ha Long seafood is renowned for its freshness and rich flavor, captivating tourists. However, not many visitors know that to enjoy these delicious meals, the seafood undergoes a long journey, starting early in the morning with boats, enduring the hard work of fishermen and traders who stay up late and wake up early at the main fish market in the heart of Ha Long City.
Bustling early morning fish market
To see for ourselves, we arrived around 5 am at the wholesale fish market (Cao Xanh ward, Ha Long city). The market has a large, well-organized area along the coast with hundreds of stalls, divided into two sections. From early morning, before the sun rises, the market is already bustling with buyers and sellers, with boats and ships everywhere. All kinds of seafood, from large to small, are arranged or sorted into trays... Most striking are the many types of fresh seafood, still swimming alive, just transported from the boats, swimming in tanks and containers, still retaining the taste of the sea... Many traders and locals are already waiting to select their goods. As dawn approaches, the number of people flocking to the market increases.
According to experienced vendors who have been working at the market for a long time, variety and freshness have always been the market's characteristic and tradition. Because the fish market is closely linked to the fishermen's fishing trips from the night before, the seafood is usually very fresh and diverse... This fish market has been around for a long time, perhaps two or three decades. Initially, the fish market was located in the fish port area adjacent to Ha Long Market 1 (Bach Dang Ward, Ha Long City), where ships docked to transfer large fish caught in Co To, Bach Long Vy, and other fishing grounds in the Gulf of Tonkin. Another "branch" of this market is the gathering point for fishing boats and rafts operating in the coastal area around Ha Long Bay, located right in the coastal road near Column 5. This is where mainly small seafood such as shrimp, squid, and small fish caught in the bay and nearby nearshore waters are brought ashore. In early September 2020, the market was moved to its current location in Cao Xanh ward, about 3-4 km from its old position, to ensure the aesthetics and environmental hygiene of the coastal area.
Nevertheless, the market's characteristic of being fresh and diverse remains unchanged. Due to its spacious area and convenient transportation, the amount of fish brought in is increasingly abundant seasonally. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Manh, a vendor specializing in crabs and other seafood at the market, "To have a large quantity of fresh and delicious goods, we wake up quite early to collect, select, and sort the seafood from fishing boats transporting goods from fishing grounds, or from the fishing boats themselves bringing their catch to the dock. We can even take orders and pack the seafood in styrofoam boxes for tourists on the same day to ensure its freshness."
Nguyen Thi Lien, a shop owner with over 20 years of experience specializing in fresh fish, shrimp, and seafood, shared: "Having been in this business for many years, we have close ties with fishing boats. After each fishing trip, the fish and shrimp are immediately transported to the dock. From there, the seafood is sorted and sold directly at the market, then distributed throughout the city. Many shop owners like us even own our own fishing boats... so the goods are always guaranteed to be fresh, delicious, and diverse."
According to our research, it's not just Ms. Lien and Mr. Manh, but dozens, even hundreds, of vendors at this fish market who act as intermediaries for trading various types of seafood. To ensure a fresh and diverse supply of seafood, many vendors have to stay up late, wake up early, sometimes as early as 9 PM the night before to receive the first shipments arriving at the dock until the next morning.
The cargo owners here all have established relationships or contracts with the ships. These ships usually set sail early to meet with fishing boats in the fishing grounds of the Gulf of Tonkin, then immediately transfer the seafood after their fishing trip ends. Conversely, food and supplies are transferred back to the fishermen for their next trip.
For many types of fresh seafood, after sorting, they are immediately transferred to large tanks (underfloor compartments with small holes connecting to the sea for water circulation) or placed in aerated tanks to keep them fresh. Fish and other seafood are therefore brought back and docked immediately after each fishing trip, ensuring freshness and quality. In addition to seafood caught offshore, many types of seafood and small fish are caught in the waters around Ha Long Bay, raised in cages, or brought in from wholesale markets in the surrounding districts, towns, and cities.
From the wholesale fish market, seafood continues to be transported by trucks and aerated containers to various mainstream markets, and also serves as the main source of supply for restaurants and hotels catering to tourists .
The unique charm of the coastal region
Those who want to explore and learn about this early morning fish market must wake up at dawn. Typically, the market is busiest between 2 am and 7 am. In the sparkling morning sunlight, the squid still twitching, the shrimp snapping, and the fresh fish... just transferred from boats to shore are always incredibly attractive to early morning shoppers. Sometimes, before you even have a chance to see or choose the best fish, new batches of fish are already being brought ashore. Indeed, going to the early morning fish market has its own unique charm. It allows you to witness firsthand the activities of the fish market, the fishermen, the skilled vendors selecting seafood, and the methods used to preserve its freshness. Going to the early morning fish market is also a way to learn about a vibrant aspect of life, the journey from fresh seafood to specialty dishes…
The wholesale fish market attracts not only traders and vendors... but also locals, including some who stop by for exercise to buy fresh seafood for their families. For housewives, the fish market is a place where they can find many fresh and delicious foods at reasonable prices. Ms. Nguyen Thi Trinh (Hong Gai ward, Ha Long city), whose house is only about 10 minutes away from the market by motorbike, often wakes up early to go to the market to buy seafood for her family whenever she has free time. They are considered "savvy shoppers" because here, the seafood is fresh from the fishermen's hands and reasonably priced.
"The seafood here is incredibly fresh, even still alive. For example, the large golden-brown fish I bought today only cost 150,000 VND/kg. Normally, this type of fish would cost 200,000 VND/kg at the official market. Not only that, they also have clams, snails, mussels, etc., at very reasonable prices. It's estimated that most seafood here is 10-15% cheaper than at the market."
Not only that, there were also a few tourists strolling around and taking pictures of the fish market in the early morning. Many tourists even drove their own cars to visit the market, buying goods packed in styrofoam boxes to take home as gifts for relatives and family after their trip. Mr. Phan Duong, a tourist from Thach That, Hanoi, said: "I really enjoy the seafood cuisine whenever I come to Ha Long. A local friend introduced me to it, and I was very curious. Learning about the cuisine is interesting because each locality has its own unique cultural and culinary characteristics. And indeed, the fish market gave me more understanding and an interesting perspective on this land."
Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh (An Binh apartment complex, Bac Tu Liem district, Hanoi) really enjoys experiencing the wholesale fish market and buying fresh seafood as gifts for her relatives. "Although the prices aren't much cheaper than the traditional market, the attractive thing about buying here is the freedom to choose, and the seafood is still fresh and hasn't been frozen. I feel completely reassured buying those plump, twitching prawns, squid with shimmering skin, and live grouper, crabs, and lobsters – they all look great," Ms. Anh shared.
In addition, traders from neighboring provinces also bring entire convoys of trucks here to collect seafood to sell everywhere. Buyers and sellers right by the sea, in the morning sunlight, create a tranquil picture of life and activity in a market that is considered a "sleepless" market in the heart of the city, adding another unique aspect of life in the coastal region.
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