Khau Vai - where memories evoke the name of love.

Amidst the rolling gray rocks of the plateau, as the night mist still lingers on the mountain slopes, Khau Vai awakens to a unique rhythm. There, a market unfolds without noisy bargaining or heavy buying and selling, quietly opening to allow people to reconnect with the deepest memories of their hearts. The Khau Vai Love Market, also known as the Romantic Market, is not just a cultural activity, but also a "rendezvous" of emotions, where love is named in the most tolerant and humane way.

People carrying offerings present themselves at the shrines of Ông and Bà (male and female deities) at the Khâu Vai love market.

Market of Memories

For generations, the story of Ba, a Nung man, and Ut, a Giay woman, has been passed down through the people as an inexhaustible source. Their love, beautiful yet sad, separated by the constraints of their families, transformed into a promise. Once a year, on the 27th day of the third lunar month, they return to Khau Vai to meet and say what they never had the chance to say.

It was from that promise that the love market was born – not to rekindle lost relationships, but to provide people with a space to confront the past with sincerity. Those who come to the market may be young couples seeking love, or they may be married people, their hair graying, but still carrying within them a realm of memories that cannot be named.

Among the crowds returning to Khau Vai, there are heart-wrenching, quiet encounters. A handshake, a glance, a cup of corn wine passed around the fire… all are enough to soothe the anxieties that have plagued them for a long year. There is no reproach, no jealousy, because here, the past is not something to be hidden, but a cherished part of their lives.

Elder Vàng Mí Sình, who has lived through more than seventy market seasons, spoke slowly, as if recounting his own life story: "People in the highlands think differently. Once feelings are formed, they cannot be erased. The love market isn't about getting back together, but about lightening the heart. After meeting, everyone returns to their own home, living out their responsibilities to their families. That's what makes Khâu Vai so special."

Every year around this time, the commune's organizations and associations conduct inspections to ensure thorough preparations for the festival to take place safely.

Perhaps it is this tolerant way of behaving that gives the market its humanistic depth. It's like a rare "moment of quiet" amidst the hustle and bustle of life, where people can pause and reflect on a part of their youth. After that encounter, they return to their daily lives, but their hearts are different—lighter, more peaceful.

Beyond the stories of past loves, Khau Vai today is also the starting point of many new tales. Some people visit the market for the first time, filled with curiosity, only to leave with a lingering sense of wonder. There are unexpected encounters, beginning with a love song, a haunting flute melody amidst the mountains, silently blossoming into love.

Preserving the spirit of the market amidst the modern pace of life.

Over time, the Khau Vai Love Market has evolved from a small market exclusively for local people into a unique cultural festival, attracting numerous domestic and international tourists. In recent years, with the development of tourism , the festival space has expanded, featuring many activities rich in local identity such as ethnic costume performances, love songs, folk dances, and traditional games.

Young women in vibrant costumes arrive at the love market as part of a pre-arranged meeting at the Khau Vai love market.

Amidst the vibrant colors of traditional clothing, the sounds of flutes and singing echo, heralding the arrival of the season. Traditional dishes like thang co (a stew made with horse meat and offal), men men (corn porridge), and fermented corn wine not only warm the hearts of market-goers but also open up a complete cultural experience for visitors.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Hoang, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, shared: “I have traveled to many places, but I have never seen a market like Khau Vai. Here, everything is very authentic. It's not a performance for tourists, but a reflection of the people's lives. What impressed me most is how they treat the past – very gently, very civilized.”

However, this development also presents numerous challenges. How to ensure that the love market retains its original essence, avoids commercialization, and doesn't become merely a tourist attraction – this is a problem that local authorities are constantly grappling with.

Mr. Hoang Ngoc Thanh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Khau Vai commune, said: "We have determined that tourism development must go hand in hand with preservation. The Khau Vai Love Market is not just a festival, but an intangible cultural heritage of the community. Therefore, all organized activities are aimed at preserving traditional values, so that the people remain the main actors, and tourists come to experience it without changing the essence of the market."

Therefore, in addition to investing in infrastructure and expanding the festival space, the locality still focuses on preserving original elements: from the rituals for seeking love, the space of the Ông and Bà shrines, to folk songs, the sound of the khene (a traditional wind instrument), and love songs… All are preserved as "red threads" connecting the past with the present.

Amidst the vibrant flowers of the plateau, the two friends met and dated on the day they went to the Khau Vai love market.

In Khau Vai, people don't talk much about development in a noisy way. Change happens slowly, like how the rocky fields bloom after each rainy season. And it is this slow pace that helps the market retain its unique beauty – a beauty that cannot be found anywhere else.

As night falls, Khau Vai is once again shrouded in a thin mist. Footsteps leave the market, carrying with them untold stories. Some have met old friends, others stand silently amidst the crowd, waiting for a familiar gaze that never arrives. But whatever the case, they will return—next year, and the year after that.

Because Khau Vai is more than just a market. It's a place where memories are given a name, a place where love—whether unfulfilled or complete—always has a place to return to.

Amidst the vast rocky mountains at the northernmost tip of the country, that market quietly exists as a reminder: in each person's life, everyone has their own Khau Vai – a place that holds memories of the past, but which are never truly lost. And it is these things that give depth to this land, where love is not only about the present, but also about cherished memories passed down through the years.

Text and photos: Duc Quy

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/du-lich/202605/khau-vai-noi-ky-uc-goi-ten-tinh-yeu-f6f5bbf/