Take a stroll through Cai Rang floating market.

The boats and barges selling produce at Cai Rang floating market are a highlight that attracts tourists from both inside and outside the country. (Photo: Archival material)

A new day begins with the sounds of life on the river. Here and there on the banks, the early morning crowing of roosters can be heard. The houses along the river also light up one by one.

Wow! Those simple thatched houses along the river! For some reason, that image always evokes an indescribable feeling, both strange and familiar, making travelers on the river always curious to explore .

A small courtyard with a few pots of chrysanthemums. The image of an old mother waking up early to sweep the yard. A small boat moored at the dock in front of the house, a symbol of the connection between life on the water and the boats of the people here…

The writer Son Nam once likened this intricate network of rivers and canals to the "silk road" of the South, a vital trade artery far more important than land routes in previous centuries. Even in modern times, despite the abundance and diversity of transportation options, this exchange continues through tourism tours, satisfying visitors' love of waterways.

This season's floating market isn't like the vibrant, colorful photos of boats laden with fruit packed closely together that are so familiar in tourism promotional materials. The boats selling goods aren't as crowded as during festivals throughout the year. But that's okay. It's all an experience.

Our barge docked next to a large ship selling all kinds of goods, food, and local specialties from the Mekong Delta... Tourists enthusiastically came aboard to browse these stalls. Everyone tried to buy something to remember their trip and as a souvenir.

They've probably all been to large supermarkets in many cities around the world and in Vietnam, but even here, in this space, they still feel delighted and warm-hearted by the sincerity, friendliness, and hospitality of the vendors, and especially by the unique image of the traditional market of the people living in Vietnam's riverine region...

Recalling the Han River in Da Nang, I've often ridden on tourist boats with full amenities. But those were just enjoyable outings among tourists in the setting of the river.

The difference here is that tourists can directly chat with the people who run the businesses on the river, and exchange stories with them about their lives and the products displayed right next to the boat.

The joys and sorrows on the river are countless, spanning days, months, and years. But it's also strange. Life here rarely gives one a feeling of hardship; instead, in every laugh, every voice, every invitation, there seems to be a sense of sincerity, exhilaration, patience, and an optimistic acceptance of the present.

The rhythm of life on the waterways of the Mekong Delta, and in particular the traditional floating markets like Cai Rang floating market, possess unique beauties that are not easily lost in modern times. Of course, modern people must accept that it is impossible to cling to and preserve them exactly as they were.

In recent decades, land-based infrastructure has developed rapidly, and traditional markets have gradually given way to supermarkets and convenience stores, causing the old habit of rowing boats to go to the market to disappear. This will surely be a difficult problem for urban planners and those working in culture and tourism.

But I still believe that the space for buying, selling, and socializing in the style of a floating market will continue to exist, and will continue to attract tourists because of the human warmth of the floating market, and the moment of reliving memories of a unique and beloved form of trade on the waterways of Southern Vietnam for generations.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/dao-qua-cho-noi-cai-rang-3334314.html