Cloud Market on the summit of Thien Cam Son

At dawn, Thien Cam Son mountain was still shrouded in clouds and fog. From the mountain peaks, baskets full of vegetables like kohlrabi, bamboo shoots, green and yellow strawberries, and avocados... were carried across rocky slopes, streams, forests, and hillside fields to reach Cho May market in time for the market day. Cho May market on the summit of Thien Cam Son mountain (Tinh Bien district, An Giang province) was in session.

A view of the majestic Thien Cam Mountain. (Photo by Viet Anh)

No one knows exactly when that market originated, only that since people started settling on the majestic Thien Cam Son mountain peak, this small, cloud-shrouded market has been in existence. If the Northwest region has its traditional markets, then a visit to the Cloud Market on Cam Mountain in the Southwest of Vietnam, in the Bay Nui area of ​​An Giang province, is the only way to fully appreciate the unique beauty of a Southern Vietnamese rural market atop a high mountain.

Cloud Market, shrouded in mist.

Known as the "roof of the Western region," shrouded in fog year-round, Chợ Mây boasts the cool chill of Da Lat, the majestic grandeur of the Northwest mountains, and the rustic charm of the Southern people, all blended together in this place.

Cam Son (Cam Mountain) is entering its rainy season. The charmingly capricious weather of this mountainous region in the Western Mekong Delta is like a young girl in her prime, lovely but also unpredictable – sunny one moment, rain the next, the rain soaking your clothes before the clouds clear. It was just past 5 a.m., as arranged with Mr. Viet Anh (from the Cam Mountain Tourist Area Management Board), and I was already at the entrance gate. Darkness still enveloped the area.

Several motorbikes belonging to the mountain residents sped down the slopes from the summit, loaded with produce such as fruits and vegetables to supply the morning markets. Mount Cam is blessed with a cool climate, with temperatures sometimes ten degrees Celsius lower than the lowlands, allowing many temperate vegetables to thrive here.

In the past, the only way to reach the summit of Thien Cam Son Mountain, over 800 meters high, was on foot along the Thanh Long stream. Climbing tens of thousands of steps along the cool stream, people carried their produce from the gardens, fields, and riverside areas down to the foot of the mountain and back up again – essential goods for the lives of the people on the mountaintop.

For over a decade now, since the road to Mount Cam was opened by the government, not only motorbikes but also cars can easily reach the summit. In just under 20 minutes, after navigating winding slopes with rocky edges on the right and a deep abyss on the left, with rice paddies stretching into the distance, you'll reach the summit.

For over two years now, people visiting Mount Cam have had another option: traveling by modern cable car. This has made the exchange of goods easier. This factor has resulted in an abundant supply of goods at May Market, meeting the needs not only of the local residents but also of tourists visiting Mount Cam.

Following the mountain road, the hairpin bends and 45-degree inclines seemed to test the driver's skills. In the tranquil morning, the road was still shrouded in mist, and a light drizzle clung to the windshield, making visibility even more difficult. After more than 20 minutes of "struggling" with that stretch of road, I felt as if I had traveled to some remote northwestern region, not the vast, open Mekong Delta.

Passing through the Thuy Liem lake area, at the top of the slope leading to the summit where the Maitreya Buddha statue is located, we arrived at Cloud Market. Looking at the clock, it was almost 6 a.m., yet the clouds still enveloped everything, the market was shrouded in mist, and the sellers and buyers were only vaguely visible, their faces barely discernible.

Viet Anh said: "The market isn't crowded yet, sir. People from the mountain peaks and hills are gathering at trading points along the residential routes before heading to the market. They go there not only to sell but also to buy wholesale from each other to bring back to the central Cloud Market to resell. The Cloud Market isn't just concentrated in the center; it's scattered around the mountains. The market gathers in the clouds and disperses in the clouds, which is why it's called the Cloud Market!"

Before the group arrived at the center of Cho May Market, around 4:30 AM, the villagers, mainly Khmer people and mountain farmers, carried baskets of various vegetables and fruits such as kohlrabi, young chayote shoots, bamboo shoots, gourds, wild vegetables, with over a hundred varieties, supplying the ingredients for the famous Bay Nui pancake. Fruits included mangosteen, custard apple, avocado, durian, green wild strawberries... In addition, there were free-range chickens, wild chickens, wild boar, mountain crabs, stream fish... all heading to places like the Big Buddha Pagoda, the Maitreya Buddha Statue, Temple 13, and Cuu Pham Peak...

Each group stays at a spot for about 20 to 30 minutes before dispersing, depending on the amount of goods and the number of buyers and sellers each day. Upon returning to the market, after buying and selling goods, those carrying poles disperse again to the mountain peaks and settlements such as Thanh Long stream, Vo Dau hill, Dien Bo Hong, Vo Thien Tue hill... Ms. Neang Chy Tha said: "I've been selling at the market for over ten years. Early in the morning, I go to the fields to pick some vegetables, then buy more from the villagers around the mountains to sell at Cho May market. The profit is small from each item, but it's enough to support the whole family."

May Market sells products from the local ethnic communities.

Highlights of tourism in the Mekong Delta

The Cloud Market originated when people began settling on the summit of Mount Cam. Initially, it was just a small, scattered market specializing in selling fresh produce harvested from the forest or caught from streams, as well as free-range pigs and chickens. Sometimes, a bunch of wild vegetables, gourds, loofahs, durians, a kilogram of mangosteen, a kilogram of green or yellow strawberries would be exchanged for a fish, a bunch of stream crabs, bamboo shoots, a free-range chicken, or a kilogram of pork. If you had money, you could buy with cash; otherwise, you could exchange at the same price. That was the trading culture at the Cloud Market in the old days. People, with their flickering oil lamps, gathered around their carrying poles, heading to the market in the cloudy weather. Even after the market closed, the clouds still dampened the carrying poles and the clothes of the women and mothers.

Later, as life improved and the demand for trade increased, the roads from the mountaintop down to the foot of the mountain were widened, making May Market a bustling place with many permanent stalls. For nearly 10 years now, motorbikes have been navigating through the forests and hills, making it easier to bring goods to the market. May Market no longer operates for just a few hours in the early morning mist but continues throughout the day as the number of tourists visiting Mount Cam increases.

For nearly a year now, the market has received investment from the Cam Mountain Tourist Area Management Board for a new entrance gate and modern tiled paving, but the rustic charm of Cam Mountain Cloud Market remains. Cloud Market not only supplies goods to the mountain dwellers daily but has also become a tourist attraction.

As the mountain population increased, tourist attractions were developed, and a cable car soared through the clouds to the summit, the Cloud Market became even more vibrant. Goods from the lowlands flowed up the mountain and from the mountain to the market. Mr. Le Trung Hieu, Director of the An Giang Trade and Investment Promotion Center, said: "The government only invested in arranging a clean and orderly trading area, but we must strive to preserve and develop the soul, the rustic charm, and the trading culture of our people at the Cloud Market. When visiting Mount Cam, tourists not only admire the beautiful scenery, enjoy the cool weather, and experience spiritual tourism, but also experience, shop, and enjoy local specialties and cuisine day and night."

The story of Cho May Market doesn't just end with morning market days. Now, with the determination to make Nui Cam Mountain a popular tourist destination, those involved in tourism have planned to develop and maintain the market both day and night. "The management organized a live music night in Thuy Liem Lake Square. That night, the vendors at Cho May Market did very well."

Therefore, the leadership has oriented the Cloud Market at night to become a new tourism product for visitors to enjoy unique dishes of the Bay Nui region and experience nighttime tourism in the Mekong Delta," Viet Anh said.

Source link: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202306/cho-may-tren-dinh-thien-cam-son-c994509/