Quang Ninh currently has many highland markets. These markets have become attractive destinations for locals and tourists. Markets in remote, mountainous communes such as Ha Lau (Tien Yen district), Quang An (Dam Ha district), Dong Van (Binh Lieu district)... have contributed to poverty reduction and the preservation and promotion of local cultural values.
Although the communes have now eliminated poverty according to central government criteria, the question remains: how can we prevent people from falling back into poverty? One solution is to develop production, expand markets for agricultural products, and promote the cultural and spiritual values of the people. Accordingly, many communes have expanded their markets to attract a large number of people and tourists to visit and shop. This helps people change their mindset and farming practices from small-scale to large-scale production, creating high-quality products in large quantities to serve tourists.
The most successful example is Quang An commune (Dam Ha district) with its monthly Ba Nhat Market. The market features dozens of stalls run by local people. All the products brought to the market are made by the locals , such as: forest honey, ginger, galangal, free-range chicken, buffalo meat, bamboo shoots, long sticky rice cakes, cooc mo cakes, bathing leaves, sticky rice, etc.
Ms. Na Thi Lam's household (Tam Lang village, Quang An commune) has escaped poverty for many years now. Ms. Lam grows 5 hectares of cinnamon trees; intercrops cassava, taro, and yam under the cinnamon forest canopy; and plants many types of flowers in the area near her house. Previously, in the same forest and hills, Ms. Lam almost did not grow any crops because she could not eat all the crops, and no one would buy them because everyone grew them. Now that the commune has opened a market, she brings her goods to the market and sells all of them. Many tourists buy dozens of kilos of taro and yam, and even make an appointment to come back, remembering to leave some for customers.
The fair also helps people preserve and promote their ethnic identity. Quang An commune has established a Dao ethnic costume sewing and embroidery club with 16 members. Since the fair, the club has been able to sell its products and promote them to tourists.
Ha Lau commune (Tien Yen district) has a highland cultural market program, held on the last Sunday of each month, with many fun activities reflecting ethnic identity, such as the Sai Ma exchange among the men of the commune. This is a traditional game of the Tay people (who make up 29% of the population in Ha Lau), creating much laughter and being enthusiastically received by the locals.
The market is also a place for people to perform their ethnic melodies. The San Chi sing Soong Co, the Tay sing Then, and the Dao sing San Co. From the market sessions, people are more enthusiastic about establishing clubs to sing their ethnic melodies. Mr. Ly Ngoc Xuan, a member of the Then Singing Club of Ha Lau commune, said: Then melodies have been with us since we were children, associated with the youth of many people. We bring the beauty of that culture to the market sessions, helping people who come to the market to have more fun, not forgetting the rich culture of the Tay people.
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