Sapa
is also famous for its love market, which takes place on
saturday evenings. The love market of Sapa used to be the
place to find a partner to get married. With the tourism,
the real love market does not take place anymore. Currently
you can only see a representation of the love market. Do not
miss it anyway if you are staying here a saturday
night.Young Red Dzao hill tribe used to come to Sapa to sing
songs to the opposite sex. Girls sang the songs hidden in
the dark, when a boy found them, and if they matched
together, they disappeared into the forest for three days.
Some of them got married after that.
While Dao women are indeed highly
industrious, the men, it seems, prefer to spend most of
their time drinking, smoking opium or sleeping, only
occasionally slapping the rump of a lethargic bovine moving
more slowly than they are. Few of their songs, though, are
about drinking, smoking opium, sleeping or slapping rumps.
Currently you may spot some young locals
singing in the dark, but they are not looking for a partner,
they are looking for you. They will sing a song, and ask for
a tip afterwards.
Every Saturday, the picturesque mountain
village of Sa Pa comes alive with shoppers who know what
they want:love. They travel from near and far to size up
the goods of the day, hoping something will tickle their
fancy.
Tall or short, sweet or sultry, they are
all on the market, looking for love. Love markets (cho tinh)
take place in the northern mountain provinces of Lao Cai, Ha
Giang and Son La. A rare opportunity to mix, mingle and find
a match, they are often a not-to-be-missed social event. For
many young villagers, the love fests are a vital marital
resource, given that many live in villages where all the
inhabitants are blood relatives.
Here’s how it goes:singles strut their
stuff through the market, hoping they will be lucky enough
to be asked out on a date. What follows is not as simple as
dinner and a movie – amorous couples must abide by the ways
and mores of their ethnic nationality.
Unlike the steady flow of sensuality at
Sa Pa, some loves must stand the test of time. Khai Vau
market in Ha Giang province takes place only once a year, on
March 27 in the lunar calendar, a date known as Phong Luu
(Prosperity Day), which gives the market its name of Cho
Phong Luu (market of Prosperity). According to legend, the
market’s beginnings date back to the unrequited love between
a young boy and girl. They met in Meo Vac, but as they were
from different tribes, were forbidden to be together.
In true Shakespearean fashion, a bitter
quarrel erupted between the families, and the couple was
forced to end the affair. Unable to bear the thought of
never seeing each other again, they decided to meet on the
same day every year in Khau Vai. Today, the site of the
forbidden rendezvous is home to the love market.
The market is not just for marriage
hopefuls. In this rural area, it is also the social event of
the year, where old friends meet up and new ones are made.
No matter their age, everyone looks forward to the chance to
chat over sticky rice, grilled cassava or rice dumplings.
Although the market does not officially start until March
27, the celebrations begin the evening before. March 26 is a
night of song and dance, the performances expressing fervent
wishes for eternal love. Romantic melodies fill the night
air.
There is one day in the year
I dedicate to you
I have no gold or silver
Just my true love
Come with me if you believe in me
The dancing and singing continue into the
early hours, often persuading men and women into each
other’s arms. That first magical night, some are lucky
enough to leave the market with their new partners and walk
hand in hand through the forest. But others are simply
nervous:tomorrow is the big day, after all. Many have
waited months for the chance to find their soul mate. The
day of the Market of Prosperity is alive with different
moods:happiness at meeting old friends, anxiety as others
wait to meet someone new.
Whether they find a partner or not, the
happy memories of the day linger in the minds of many of
these mountain people. And anyway, there is always next
year. Because at this market, the goods are always ripe.