Dong Thap: Plan to preserve Cai Be floating market to serve tourism

Reenactment of the buying and selling scene between traders and tourists at Cai Be floating market on the morning of December 4, 2025.

With the road transport system developing very rapidly, water transport is no longer the best choice. Therefore, Cai Be floating market in particular and other floating markets in the area are gradually losing visitors and fading away. Therefore, Cai Be commune and Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee have had many plans to preserve and promote Cai Be floating market to serve tourism and trade development, while preserving and promoting the unique cultural characteristics of the locality.

A prosperous time

With a dense system of rivers and canals, especially the intersection of river branches, it has created a large river area connecting to the Tien River, which the local people call Cai Be estuary. Every day, local people and people from neighboring areas gather here to exchange and buy and sell local products, gradually turning Cai Be estuary into a market on the river, which the surrounding residents call Cai Be floating market.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dong Thap province, Cai Be floating market was formed in the late 1880s, located nearly 1km from Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village.

From midnight to dawn, the boats of traders and farmers in the area gather crowdedly, along with small boats selling food and drinks moving back and forth on the river, making the bustling floating market have a special charm of the Southern river region.

A corner of Cai Be floating market on the morning of December 4, 2025.

Over time, this area formed a merchant community. They gathered to live, buy and sell, and exchange goods on the river in convenient locations, forming a floating market.

Sitting drinking tea by the Cai Be floating market, Mr. Nguyen Van Thuan, 76 years old, residing in Cai Be commune, Dong Thap province, who has been trading fruits here for nearly 20 years, recalled: “At that time, during the longan season, I went to the garden to buy longan; during the rambutan season, I went to the rambutan garden and brought them to Cai Be floating market to sell for profit. Every day, there are hundreds of boats of traders from all over and local households coming here to trade. The market's activities depend a lot on the season of fruits, vegetables, and tubers of the people. In addition, many small boats provide food and beverage services and products to serve the needs of life on the river.”

A buyer and seller at Cai Be floating market. (Photo taken in 2012)

Floating markets are gradually fading away, and trading activities on the river are no longer as numerous. Mr. Thuan switched to another profession nearly 20 years ago. Sitting and recalling memories of trading in the old days, Mr. Thuan also feels sad for the time when floating markets were prosperous on the river. However, he also believes that it is also a development trend of society.

Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Cai Be Commune Phan Thanh Son said that Cai Be floating market is not only a place to buy and sell goods but also a place to preserve the vivid memories of an entire countryside. From early morning, large and small boats loaded with agricultural products gather here. People buy and sell without needing a signboard, just needing a "beo" pole to put up, hanging whatever they want to sell, traders from everywhere come to find it. The sound of the boat engine, the sound of selling goods, the sound of laughter and talking have become familiar sounds for many generations. However, Cai Be floating market has now gradually disappeared and only remains in memory.

Try to keep

In 2017, the People's Committee of Cai Be district, Tien Giang province (old) issued a decision approving the Project on tourism development in Cai Be district for the period 2017-2020 and orientation to 2025. The purpose of this decision is to preserve and promote Cai Be floating market to serve tourism and trade development, contributing to the economic development of the district, while preserving and promoting the cultural characteristics of Cai Be district in particular and the Mekong Delta in general.

Re-enactment of merchants buying and selling on Cai Be floating market.

In particular, the locality will focus on investing in tourism infrastructure, developing accommodation facilities and restaurants serving tourism; investing in means of serving tourism, and upgrading typical tourism products.

Reenactment of merchants carrying goods to sell at Cai Be floating market.

However, the revival of Cai Be floating market has been very difficult so far. The number of buyers and sellers here is decreasing day by day. This has greatly affected the number of tourists coming to Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village in particular and Cai Be commune today in general.

Re-enactment of a corner of Cai Be floating market.

Comrade Phan Thanh Son added that the re-enactment of Cai Be floating market is part of the series of events of the 6th Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village cultural and tourism festival in 2025 to recall the old sounds, colors and breaths so that each Cai Be resident can recall the memories of a bustling merchant era, honor the unique cultural values of the floating market and to arouse pride, promote the preservation and development of Cai Be river tourism in the new era. From there, each visitor coming here will find something familiar, close and precious.

People stand on the roadside watching the reenactment of the bustling trading scene at Cai Be floating market.

In the immediate future, Cai Be commune will focus on implementing a number of projects such as: planning and constructing the Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village tourism festival area, a specialty eco-garden tourist site in Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village; resort tourism and developing more cultural, artistic, recreational and entertainment activities to retain tourists for long stays...

Foreign tourists enjoy taking souvenir photos at Cai Be floating market on the morning of December 4, 2025.

The preservation and sustainable development of Cai Be floating market is an urgent issue, which is receiving special attention from Cai Be commune as well as Dong Thap province. With the efforts to preserve the local floating market cultural identity, it is hoped that in the near future, Cai Be floating market will be prosperous, with traditional trading activities intertwined with attractive tourism services.

NGUYEN SU

Source: https://nhandan.vn/dong-thap-len-phuong-an-bao-ton-cho-noi-cai-be-de-phuc-vu-du-lich-post927943.html