Cuttlefish market with no scale, no quoted prices

This is the ‘muc nhay’ market convened on pavements along the road to Lan Chau Island in Nghe An province.

‘Muc nhay’ means fresh cuttlefish which has been just caught from the sea.

The special market opens from 7pm to 1am, where only muc nhay is sold. Buyers and sellers don’t use scales at the market. The prices depend on buyers’ haggling capability.

There is no canvas, and no stall, tables and chairs. Every buyer displays products on the pavement. There is a small electric lamp on their hands, which is used for a light for buyers, and to make the cuttlefish sparkle and look fresher.

Pham Thanh Hai, chair of Thu Thuy ward People’s Committee, said the muc nhay market has been convened since mid-2023. This is the place for 100 local households to do business. Most of them are from Thu Thuy ward and others from Nghi Thuy ward. Muc nhay can sell well because it is the famous specialty of Cua Lo beach.

Hoang Thi Oanh from Nghi Thuy ward said cuttlefish there is not sold by weight, but by lots, priced at VND50,000-80,000 each.

In general, there are 10 squid in each basin. The squid has just been caught from the sea, extremely fresh. The eyes and stars on the squid sparkles under flashlights.

The market convenes in the evening of all days of week, but it is most bustling at 8-10pm.  Sellers set prices depending on the size of squid, while buyers haggle about prices. The final prices are the ones high enough for sellers to make profits and low enough for buyers to feel happy.

Market for children

This market specializes in selling products for children’s use and convenes only once a year, on the second day of the new lunar year. It is located on the yard of the Phong Loi communal house in Dong Hop commune of Dong Hung district in Thai Binh province.

The market has existed for tens of years, and only one kind of product – children’s toys – is available there. The major visitors to the market are children.

According to local old people, the market day originated from 1960s. At that time, adults were busy with farm work and did not have time to buy toys for their children. Only when they finished farmwork or celebrated Tet holiday did they go to market to buy toys as gifts for children. The major products sold at the market were to he (toy figurines) and products made of clay.

However, the simple products are disappearing, and modern toys, such as plastics, stuffed animals and air balloons, are selling instead.

So, the market has changed a lot, but the excitement of children when shopping for toys remains, bringing joy to many children.

Maize market in HCM City

This is a unique market in Vietnam, because maize is the only product available. The maize market is at Bau Crossroads, in Thoi Tam Thon commune in HocMon district.

Huynh Thi Anh, a petty merchant at the market, said the market opened 20 years ago, and it is the largest maize wholesale market in HCM City.

There are about 50 maize granaries in the market available both day and night, providing maize to HCM City and neighboring provinces. Heavy trucks carry out maize from cities and provinces in the Mekong Delta to the market, and from there, maize is distributed to retailers. Thousands of tons of maize is consumed a day.

Gemstone market

Luc Yen district in Yen Bai province is considered the largest gemstone ‘metropolis’ in Vietnam. There is a special market which sells gemstones. The gemstones at the market are displayed for sale, like food or vegetables, with no security guards, despite the high value of gemstones. However, no big security problem occurs there. 

The products available are diverse and the prices vary. Raw stones that have not undergone manipulation can be bought for just VND50,000. Meanwhile, beautiful manipulated gemstones are priced at several billions of dong.

Hanh Nguyen