Full moon of January, go to Ea Tam love market, Central Highlands version

In the remote, sunny and windy Central Highlands, there are also love markets.

The Central Highlands version of the love market takes place around the full moon of January in a remote commune in Krong Nang district, Dak Lak province.

Krong Nang is about 80km northeast of Buon Ma Thuot city center. This place is famous for the legend of a beautiful Ede girl named Ho Nang. Because of her love for the village, she risked her life to find a source of water to save the villagers during the drought. Her name is associated with the gushing Krong Nang River and the beautiful Thuy Tien waterfall.

This is also the promised land. Therefore, it has long been a gathering place for many ethnic groups, especially ethnic minorities in the northern mountainous region such as Tay, Nung, Thai, Dao, Mong...

The nomadic migrations brought their unique regional culture to this land, adding a radiant beauty to the multi-ethnic culture of Krong Nang, of which the love market version is a typical example.

Ea Tam love market usually takes place on the 14th and 15th of the first lunar month. Strangeness and surprise are the common feelings of those who visit this special love market for the first time.

The love market is set up on a large open space. The market gate is made of bamboo and hung with bright red banners. In the middle of the market is a tall bamboo tree with a circle on top to prepare for the game of throwing a shuttlecock.

Everywhere, canvas tents were stretched and decorated splendidly, just like an early spring camping trip. Everything else was also carefully prepared, ready many days in advance.

The love market on the full moon day of January in Ea Tam can be called by many different names such as fair, camp or cultural festival... and all of them are correct. Because, on the day of the love market, just entering the market gate can attract you with a series of stalls selling all kinds of goods from handicrafts, clothes, cosmetics to cuisine ...

It seems that after ten days of celebrating Tet, this is the time for everyone to go shopping for the first things of the year. From early morning, the love market was bustling with buyers and sellers. Everyone was radiant and happy because the buying and selling were both favorable.

Bày bán đặc sản thịt trâu tại chợ tình Ea Tam

Selling specialties at Ea Tam love market

Coming to Ea Tam love market, the most impressive dishes are still roasted pork and clean buffalo meat, both delicious and safe. On these days, people slaughter a lot of pigs and buffalo for offerings, then eat them, and sell the leftovers.

Tough, delicious buffalo meat is considered the number one specialty of Ea Tam love market. Therefore, visitors to the love market always try to buy at least 1kg of buffalo meat as a gift.

Along with meat specialties, we must also mention the typical sticky rice and cakes of the people of the Northwest. These are five-color sticky rice, cassava sticky rice or leaf cakes such as sticky rice cake, gio cake, khoai cake, black square cake...

Ea Tam love market camp

Not only that, the market area also has a large stage for performing arts activities and a bingo stage for everyone's entertainment.

It can be said that, in addition to the festival atmosphere, the Ea Tam love market also has the flavor of a true folk cultural festival. That is the appearance of government representatives and shamans performing the New Year fruit offering ceremony next to the elaborately arranged fruit trays. That is also the colorful colors of the traditional costumes of the people participating in the love market.

The love market at night becomes even more sparkling and brilliant with the light of bonfires and electric lights. At this time, entering the love market will feel like being lost in a festival of sound and dance with a strong Northwest flavor.

The excitement of the trumpets, flutes, dances and music really captivated people. That was also the time when many ethnic minority boys and girls dressed in their ethnic costumes walked towards the stage.

Most of them are in the art troupe because everyone is holding musical instruments in their hands. The stage is brightly lit. The amateur artists and singers are giving their all with singing or playing instruments, flutes...

Below the stage, a large audience of people sitting and standing filled a large area. After each performance, there was a loud applause.

In the middle of the market, where the bamboo ball is thrown, a large crowd gathered. They stood in circles, shouting and cheering for the familiar spring folk games of the ethnic groups in the Northwest such as stilt walking, ball throwing, tug of war, stick pushing...

Ea Tam love market stage in 2023

In fact, going to the love market at night is much more poetic and romantic than during the day. At this time, the weather is cool and the moonlight is bright and gentle, very suitable for couples to confide and talk privately.

That very special moment truly represents the true meaning of the two words love market. And of course, there will be many couples who become husband and wife after that intimate moment. In this regard, we can see the common features between Ea Tam love market and Sa Pa love market. That is why many people call this a version of love market.

After two days of bustling activities, the Ea Tam version of the love market closed. Everyone returned to their daily work life. Although tired from staying up all night, everyone seemed to feel a new, abundant source of energy; life was truly lovely and meaningful.

For tourists who have participated in the love market, the wild, polyphonic, multi-colored, rich flavor of the Northwest mountains and forests will linger forever.

Youth Online

source