Sa Phin backward market

In Ha Giang , you can easily find many different weekly markets. These markets are usually held at the foot of the mountains, on flat or gently sloping land. They are typically held on Saturdays and Sundays. Although Ha Giang has many weekly markets, there are only about 8 "Lùi" markets.

It's called a "shifted market" because the market is held one day back each week. For example, if the market is on Sunday this week, it will be on Saturday next week. At first glance, this might seem like a naming convention used by the ethnic minority people, but recent documents indicate that "shifted" is a name added to the market's name by tourists from the lowlands who found it appealing.

The Sa Phin market also uses a similar backward calculation method; however, instead of being fixed on Saturdays or Sundays, it meets on the 5th, 11th, 17th, 23rd, and 29th days of the lunar month, corresponding to the days of the Snake and the Pig. The market used to be held at the gate of the Vuong family mansion in Dong Van district. The new market has moved to the side of National Highway 4C. Because it's new, the market isn't as bustling as the old one.

These are items sold by small-scale traders.

And these are the chili peppers from our regiment's farm; if we have too many, we'll take them to sell.

On market days, people from the surrounding area wake up early in the morning. Around 4 or 5 a.m., you can already see a few people heading to the market at the foot of the mountains. Most of them walk, carrying goods on their backs, while the younger people and teenagers travel by motorbike. Except for those who specialize in trading, the rest of the people bring whatever produce they have at home to sell. Therefore, the Sa Phin market serves as a sketch of the agricultural life and daily activities of the people in the region.

But the market is not just a place for buying and selling goods. Due to the difficult transportation conditions caused by the terrain, many people (especially the elderly, women, and children) rarely have the opportunity to go out to meet, socialize, and have fun; therefore, like many other highland markets, people go to Sa Phin market to satisfy their need for dating, meeting, socializing, and sharing thoughts and feelings with friends and relatives after a busy time in the fields. Or simply, they go just to enjoy the atmosphere of the crowd. And sometimes, going to the market is just to... show off a beautiful dress or outfit.

The Sa Phin backward market and other backward markets are specialties of the Dong Van karst plateau. To date, only the Dong Van karst plateau hosts these unique markets. These markets are rich in distinctive cultural elements and are an indispensable part of the spiritual life of the Mong, Dao, Lo Lo, and other ethnic groups living in villages throughout the highlands of Ha Giang.

Source: https://dttg.baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/cho-lui-sa-phin-360509.html