Normally, people in Sapa only gather at the market once a week on Saturday with the hope of having moments to meet, gather together and share the joys and sorrows, hardships of daily farming life.
Red Dao women participate in a love market. Photo: History/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
On market day, not only the villagers but also people living in other nearby villages, from women to men, from the elderly to children, all gather together, sit together to drink a few cups of corn wine, eat a bowl of thang co. They also often bring out food, products and farming tools from their homes to exchange or trade with each other.
Love market participants will dress up beautifully, wearing silver jewelry, bells, and indigo-colored clothes decorated with brocade. They will also equip themselves with musical instruments, especially couples who come here to sing, dance, play games like tug of war, and participate in various activities - all of which become part of the dating ritual.
Even long-time locals there are not sure when this ritual began, the exchange activities at Sapa love market existed before this concept became popular with international tourists .
Having been a cultural beauty of the Mong people in the Northwest mountains for generations, Sapa love market has now become a bright tourist spot in the town at the headland of the country.
Previously, the local people relied on agriculture and farming for their livelihood. And while tourism has created numerous opportunities to diversify their income sources, the number of visitors to the area has increased. There have even been occasions when more tourists came to the market than villagers attended.
If in the past, this place was held once a year, now it is held every Saturday night. The location of the love market has long been determined to be at Sa Pa Square, located in front of Sapa Stone Church, and up to now, this is still the chosen location to hold it every weekend. This location is extremely attractive to tourists and easy to get to.
Tourism has improved the lives of Sapa people but also affected their daily life habits.
However, instead of the love market, some young people in the village want to find other dating places, climbing the mountain to hide away from the crowds. In the minds of many people who have lived here for a long time, the love market is a safe haven and a private place to find a partner.
And that means some couples won't reveal where their new date is. It's private.
Your own love language
Technology has made it easier for couples to find each other. Photo: Frances Taylor/Moment/Getty
Modern love trends have their own love languages. For example, if a guy likes someone, he might whistle, sing, blow a trumpet or play a bamboo flute. In response, a girl might open her umbrella or play a leaf flute - a musical instrument made from a sturdy leaf folded in half.
If their melodies are in sync then it's a perfect match.
Capthi Do, 36, has witnessed Sa Pa's shift to a tourism-based economy and the new iteration of local dating culture.
Ms. Capthi Do, a former housewife and now running a homestay for the past 3 years, said that tourists are always extremely excited about the rituals and flute sounds of dating couples, especially the atmosphere of the ongoing Sapa love market.
Despite the lack of modern amenities, local youth now prefer to date on the mountain for privacy, where they can enjoy the entire place to themselves rather than being subjected to the attention of camera-obsessed tourists.
“Unlike the market square, there are no cafes, restaurants or milk tea shops. So couples can just walk around or sit wherever they find a comfortable spot, preferably with a nice view,” said Ms Capthi.
Of course, Sa Pa's youth today cannot avoid the attraction of new technology.
In the past, young men and women went to the market in groups so they could get to know each other. But now, they can get to know each other privately through a messaging app before attending the love market, instead of having to introduce themselves to strangers.
"Usually, they first find each other on social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Zalo. Those who are fluent in English prefer to use apps like Bumble or Tinder. Then, when they get here, they set up a date on the mountain," said Ms. Capthi.
Maeve, who lives in a village about nine miles from Sa Pa, belongs to a small group of Dao people who traditionally participate in love market meetings. But sometimes she finds it too difficult to get there in person. She works as a tour guide and translator, jobs that can leave her too exhausted to climb the mountains in search of love.
But luckily for her, while love markets usually take place at a fixed time, the Internet also makes dating flexible at any convenient time./.
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