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Photo essay: Colours of Bac Ha, Vietnam

Bac Ha Market can be visited as a day trip from Sapa or Lao Cai and is a pure visual treat. The surrounding villages are inhabited by the Flower Hmong people, one of the many tribes that live in the mountains and they set up shop in the market selling everything from clothes and spices to brooms. The Flower Hmong people are dressed differently than the other tribes such as the Black Hmong or Dzao people. Their clothes are very brightly coloured and the women wear a lot of tribal jewellery. I love the colorful head scarves worn by the women and bought a bright blue and pink one myself. The market is frequented by a lot of tour groups but I have to admit that the prices were better than what I saw in the Sapa market where sellers often refused to bargain much. Some of the embroidered  clothes, bags, handicrafts and other items were also very different in terms of design and quality (often better) from what is available in other tourist shopping areas in and around Sapa and in Hanoi.

Exploring the market can easily take between three to five hours, even longer if you are looking to buy souvenirs or gifts for home. There are separate lanes or areas for handicrafts, clothes, bags, food, spices and even animals. Dogs, roosters, cattle, pigs and even horses are sold in the market and the chaos in there can get quite interesting or annoying, depending on your mood. I absolutely love markets and wandering in them for hours because they tingle all the senses with their sights, sounds, tastes and scents and just have this great energy from all the people, noises, colours etc. I ended up buying a few bracelets for my girlfriends, some scarves, pillowcases and other small gifts.

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Wanting to capture all the buzz and activity, I took many pictures, some of which were taken inside a traditional Hmong home. Here is the photo essay, enjoy! 🙂

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

A food vendor prepares quick meals for hungry shoppers

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

A woman performs a prayer ritual to ward off evil and pray for good crop at the start of a new agricultural year

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Painted bowls made of coconut shells

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Living area in a village home

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Traditional kitchen

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Sharing a secret?

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Around the Bac Ha market,

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Village close to the market

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Sharing a quick laugh

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Outside a village home

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Spice sellers take an ice-cream break

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Flower Hmong Barbies

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Star anise, often used in local tea

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Love her silver earrings

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Discussing buffalo business

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Chicken for dinner?

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Adorable puppies up for sale

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Looking down on to Bac Ha market

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

The Buffalo market

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Vegetable sellers

 

Bac Ha, Vietnam

Distracted by market ongoings

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For ideas on what else to do in Sapa, read about trekking to Lao Chai and Cat Cat Village. You may also find my list of top 5 places to eat in Sapa useful. For general tips and info, check out my Vietnam travel blog.

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Photo essay: Colours of Bac Ha, Vietnam

 

Tonkin - Travel Vietnam

Tuesday 31st of October 2017

Yeah! Bac Ha is a must - see destination when you visit Sapa. Concerning the coconut bowels, I think they are not made by local people (hill tribes). Because Bac Ha is near China, I suspect that those products originate from China.

Natasha Amar

Thursday 9th of November 2017

I did not know that but that would explain why I saw these bowls at other markets in the area.

Tonkin Voyage Travel

Tuesday 28th of February 2017

Their traditional costumes are so marvelous. I especially loved the photo with the caption "sharing a secret?"

Renuka

Thursday 13th of November 2014

Cool photos! I like the horse face and the colorfully dressed women in particular. :-) Vietnam has so much of character and charm.

thebohochica

Thursday 13th of November 2014

Thanks Renuka! It truly does :)

matheikal

Wednesday 12th of November 2014

Loved it. Nice to know that Vietnam is this. Still. In spite of its torrid history.

thebohochica

Wednesday 12th of November 2014

Thank you! Vietnam is a beautiful country with a vibrant culture :)

Samuel Jeffery

Friday 5th of September 2014

Great photo essay! I love the diversity in your collection - from people shots to landscapes - and just how saturated everything is.

thebohochica

Saturday 6th of September 2014

Thank you Sam! :)

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