Bac Ha Market is a site where people gather to trade agricultural products, implements, brocades, handicrafts, and other items. It is also one of the largest and most well-known marketplaces in the province of Lao Cai. 

This place is a venue for sharing cultural ideas among members of different ethnic groups living in the northern provinces of Vietnam such as Tay, Nung, H'Mong, Thai, and so on. 

Bac Ha Market Overview

Bac Ha market is the largest and oldest market in the Northwest highlands of Vietnam. It serves as a meeting and exchange site for ethnic minorities and is situated more than 70 km east of the city center of Lao Cai. 

The Bac Ha market is divided into several smaller zones, each of which is classified according to the types of products that it sells like brocade, food, horse, poultry, bird, and so on. 

Additionally, the only market in Vietnam that has a specific area dedicated for the trade of horses is the Bac Ha market, which is the only fair market in Vietnam to have such a specified space. 

The most astute businesspeople can acquire the healthiest horses for prices that are quite low.

The Bac Ha market is a gathering place for people from a wide variety of minority groups, where they come together to buy and sell items that are not available anywhere else. 

These items range from hand-embroidered skirts to various types of chicken, buffalo, pig. 

The Bac Ha market is also a gathering place for people to talk and share emotions. If you chance to be in the highlands during the upland fair, you should be on the lookout for the lengthy lines of people and horses that are making their way to the marketplace from every direction. Residents frequently congregate in Bac Ha, where they frequently come in big groups to eat a hot soup pan (Thang Co) and participate in friendly chat.

Where is Bac Ha Market?

Bac Ha Market is located in Bac Ha district, Lao Cai Province, and is around 95 km away from Sapa, and it is 55 km away from Lao Cai City and situated at an elevation of 700 meters above sea level. 

If you enjoy going on ff-the-beaten-path excursions to visit lively weekly markets, the Bac Ha Sunday market is the ideal attraction to visit. 

Besides, Bac Ha Sunday Market is where cattle, horses, goats, and dogs are bought and sold. Tourists can also buy some traditional things such as saddles, handbags, fabrics, and trinkets that the Flower Hmong crafts. 

Opening Schedule of Bac Ha Market

Every Sunday morning, the market is open until three o'clock in the afternoon. Because the market only takes place once a week, it is quite busy and lively.

During the weekdays, people will raise and care for livestock and poultry, hunt for rare forest products, or weave colorful garments, clothes, brocade scarves, etc. to go to the market.

To join the "Love market", you might get here really early in the morning. When the market is over, you can go back to the Lao Cai center without any waiting time. If that is not the case, you should remain in Bac Ha for an additional day because this land contains a great deal of fascinating things for you to investigate.

Best time to visit Bac Ha Market

The best time to visit Bac Ha Market is from January to March. You can see the beauty of the surrounding slopes and hills in Sapa. 

During the spring, when many festivals are staged to welcome the plum blossom season and the Bac Ha market is at its most vibrant. 

Celebrations of Say San and Ruoc Dat Ruoc Nuoc take place on the lunar calendar on January 2 - 6 and January 15, respectively. 

Say San is a time for dating, confession, and prayers for happiness, while Ruoc Dat Ruoc Nuoc is a religious ceremony that celebrates the beginning of a new year and acts as a prayer for favorable weather and an abundant crop.

Besides, you can visit Bac Ha Market in June. This is the time for traditional horse races and one-of-a-kind shooting horse races. 

Those who are the first to cross the finish line will be rewarded with either a piece of linen or a bottle of wine from the region. To compete, contestants will demonstrate their riding and shooting skills. 

What to do in Bac Ha Market? 

Buy woven clothes

You can buy whatever you need at Bac Ha Market from hoes, horses, buffalo, brocade.. If you want souvenirs, try brocade goods like fabric and clothing. 

Visitors will be surprised by the colorful garments and traditional gear that girls of the Hmong and Red Dao ethnic groups are hanging up in street stores. Wallets, shawls, shoulder bags, and tote bags that are intricately created are also available in various styles. It is easy to acquire a stunning piece of embroidery, whether you intend to use it for yourself or as a present. 

Enjoy the atmosphere of festivals

During the year, Bac Ha has some enjoyable celebrations. On these days, the locals typically pray for favorable fortune, nice weather, and large harvests. 

Horse riding festival in Sapa

When tourists visit Bac Ha during this time of year, they will watch members of minority groups partying with hundreds of other people while dressed in their most elegant traditional garb.

Enjoy the Sapa cuisine

The tasty street food and regional specialties sold in Bac Ha market are something you should not miss. Any traveler to Bac Ha market should not leave without sampling the traditional Mong cuisine Thang Co, a dish that was once prepared with horse meat but is now more commonly prepared with buffalo and pig. 

Corn wine is the food that pairs wonderfully with Thang Co. It starts out with a strong flavor, but the aroma is pleasant, and there's no bitterness or sourness in the aftertaste.

Explore Livestock Area

This location is well-known for the sections that sell livestock and poultry, including native buffaloes, horses, pigs, and several other types of animals. 

People make their way here on the weekends in order to select suitable breeds for themselves so that they can get the power necessary to plow the fields or pull wood. 

Ethnic people in Sapa are selling pigs

During your visit to the market, you will come across Bac Ha dogs that have gorgeous fur and are being held by children. Horses, buffaloes, and cows will be led by men and boys to the place where they will be exchanged or traded.

The Bac Ha Sunday market is the most well-known and distinctive market in the Northwest region of Vietnam and one of best things to do in Sapa. You combine a Sapa tour from Hanoi by private car,  you will have the most fascinating and unique experiences.