Nậm Cắn Border Market: A Vibrant Cultural Exchange Between Vietnam and Laos
Previously, the market was held twice a month on the 14th and 29th. However, since 2019, with the increased cultural and economic exchanges between Vietnam and Laos, especially between Nghe An and Xieng Khouang provinces, and the growing demand for goods, the market has increased its frequency to a weekly event held on Sundays.
Nậm Cắn Market, also known as Đoàn Kết (Solidarity) Market, is located next to the border gate with Laos. Each market day is like a festival for the people from the border villages of both countries. The market is about 270 km from Vinh city and 25 km from the mountain town of Mường Xén in Kỳ Sơn district.
The busiest and most vibrant area from the early morning is the cooked food section, offering delicacies from the highland ethnic groups. Here, amidst the red-hot charcoal stoves and the fragrant aroma of cooking food, visitors can easily find specialties such as grilled chicken and pork, grilled offal, noodles, pho, rice in bamboo tubes, dried meat, various cakes, and a variety of liquors distilled from agricultural produce.
The food area attracts many guests who meet at the market and invite each other to eat, chat, inquire about each other’s health, and share experiences in animal husbandry, farming, economic development, and building prosperous villages.
In the heart of the Vietnam-Laos border market, visitors will experience the bustling, vibrant atmosphere and the unique way of life of the highland ethnic groups from Nghe An. Many young women are drawn to the stalls selling traditional costumes of the Mong, Thai, and Lao people. Here, villagers help each other try on skirts, scarves, and hats, creating a lively atmosphere with their laughter and conversations. The intricate embroidery and sewing of traditional costumes are skillfully performed by the women.
As the market primarily caters to the ethnic groups of Vietnam and Laos, the goods on offer are diverse and abundant, meeting the shopping needs of the locals. The products range from locally grown produce and livestock to local delicacies, hand-woven clothing, agricultural tools, fresh food, and groceries. Both Vietnamese and foreign tourists visit the market to immerse themselves in the unique cultural experience of the highland border region.
At the market, you won’t find pushy salespeople; instead, you’ll encounter sincere and straightforward individuals in their colorful traditional attire. For them, the market is not just about buying and selling but also about enjoying the company of fellow villagers and visitors.
The Nậm Cắn border market has a very different atmosphere compared to markets in the lowlands. It is a place of multiple sounds, colors, and languages, filled with joy, excitement, and warmth. The goods sold at these border markets have long been a distinctive feature. The products displayed are the handiwork of the highland people, including mountain-grown vegetables, sticky rice, red rice, gourds, and forest-foraged spices.
Fresh produce such as free-range chickens, black pork, local buffalo, and beef are also available, along with agricultural tools like knives, hoes, and shovels, which are of great interest to many customers.
The Vietnam-Laos border market was initially established to meet the shopping and trading needs of the border residents and facilitate cultural exchanges. However, the scale of the market has grown significantly. The stalls are packed together, and the variety of goods is impressive. Besides shopping and trading, many people come to explore and have fun, as the border market is a fascinating melting pot of diverse cultural traditions.
As noon approaches, the Nậm Cắn border market gradually empties, and trucks with Vietnamese and Lao license plates, loaded with agricultural produce, depart. The sellers and buyers, each carrying large and small bags, return home along the winding mountain roads.
The Nậm Cắn border market between Vietnam and Laos is a place of sincerity and generosity, where the sellers are honest and straightforward, and the buyers are content. It reflects the hardworking and brave spirit of the highland people who call this rugged and majestic landscape home.
