BHG - There is a market not for buying and selling but only for the lingering love of a couple who love each other but cannot be together. The "unique" market only takes place one day on the 27th of the 3rd lunar month every year - Phong Luu Khau Vai Market has become a unique symbol of the Meo Vac highland stone area.
Over 100 years, the tearful love story of Ba and Ut has left many people with regrets when they loved each other but could not be together. Their love caused animosity between the two clans, to avoid a bloody confrontation, they were forced to leave each other and vowed that every year on the 27th of the third lunar month, they would return to their farewell place in Khau Vai commune (Meo Vac) to sing to each other, tell each other the secrets they had kept in their hearts during a year apart, and then return to their daily lives the next day. Gradually, Phong Luu Khau Vai market was formed, at first it was just a dating place for couples who had failed in their love, loved each other but could not be together. Now, it has become a dating market, from young people to the elderly and tourists come to experience and feel the unique human values of the market. The pride was multiplied when in 2021, the social customs and beliefs of Phong Luu Khau Vai Market were recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage; this is also the most unique festival in the Dong Van Karst Plateau UNESCO Global Geopark.
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| The incense offering ceremony at Ong and Ba temples is an indispensable activity in the Khau Vai Market Festival. |
As scheduled, when the land and sky of the Stone Plateau are adorned with the red color of cotton flowers, the white color of Ban flowers blooming in the forest; the warm rays of sunlight pass through the endless green corn fields on the mountain slopes, dispelling the sweet cold of the mountainous region, it is also the time for the Khau Vai Phong Luu Market. This year, the festival is organized on a provincial scale with the theme "Khau Vai returns", aiming to introduce to tourists as well as preserve traditional cultural values, the noble humanistic values of the legend of the Khau Vai Phong Luu Market; praising the pure love of couples, which has the power to attract, captivate and move people's hearts; creating a spread in the community about the good values in modern life today, contributing to building and developing social ethical standards and love of couples.
If every year the main activities take place in Khau Vai commune, this year they will take place in the center of Meo Vac town. Visitors to the festival will be able to explore the cultural beauty of the ethnic groups in the Stone Plateau through the space of Meo Vac night market, Mong ethnic community cultural tourism village, Pa Vi Ha village, Pa Vi commune; explore and experience the beauty of the Stone Maze area, Khau Vai commune; take a boat trip on Nho Que river to see Tu San canyon; conquer the White Cliff on foot; participate in the Love Prayer Ceremony at Ong temple - Ba temple in Khau Vai commune... and then once again be nostalgic and miss the land that is not only beautiful because of its majestic mountains, because of the magic of white mist floating between the cloudy sky and the vertical gray cat-ear rocks, but also beautiful in the legendary love story.
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| The art recreates the love story between Ba and Ut. |
The legendary Khau Vai Phong Luu Market makes those who have been there and experienced it surely cannot forget the image of ethnic boys and girls in traditional costumes, crossing mountains and forests from early morning to find each other at the market. Their eager feet cross the pass, wade through streams despite the deep forest, high mountains, and jagged cat-ear rocks, they still wholeheartedly return to the market to wait for their loved ones, because they understand that if they do not meet the person they once loved, they will miss each other for another year. Even if they meet, it is only to exchange a glance, a quick handshake, drink a cup of strong wine together and reminisce about the past. There are quite a few couples who invite each other to the market, when they arrive, each person goes to find their old friend without jealousy. They consider those moments as being allowed to be "outside of husband, outside of wife" and when the "heart door" closes, it is time for them to return to their daily lives.
During the days of the Khau Vai Phong Luu Market Festival, event venues such as the Stone Maze, the stilt house area of Khau Vai commune, and the district central square were all renovated and decorated. Banners and billboards promoting the festival were also hung at many important intersections, contributing to spreading the market's appeal to a large number of tourists. At the same time, attention was paid to ensuring security and order, environmental sanitation, and food safety. Traffic diversion plans, accommodation arrangements, and logistics services for tourists were carefully calculated; regular inspections of tourist attractions, accommodation establishments, and restaurants serving tourists were carried out, ensuring strict compliance with price posting and selling at the correct listed prices, avoiding price gouging... so that tourists have a truly comfortable experience when coming to the festival.
Although it only lasts for one day, the legendary love market - Khau Vai Romantic Market is enough to make people's hearts flutter to experience a wild, majestic, and captivating Meo Vac, making "Khau Vai's return" truly a memorable experience in the middle of the highlands.
Article and photos: KIM TIEN
Source: https://baohagiang.vn/van-hoa/202504/khau-vai-ngay-tro-lai-7c11431/
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