The northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang has spent 2.1 billion VND (98,700 USD) to upgrade the Na Ho cultural market as part of its efforts to preserve the traditional market.

The Na Ho culture market is located in Trung Son commune in Yen Son district.

Held every Sunday morning, the market is not only for trading and exchanging goods, but also serves as a platform for cultural exchange among ethnic groups.

People living in the remote villages of Trung Minh, Hung Loi, Kim Quan, Dao Vien, and Cong Da of Yen Son journey to the market despite its geographic distance.

Covering 10,000 square metres, the market is divided into food, grocery and garment areas. Many of the goods offered are local specialties, such as traditional ethnic minority costumes, mushrooms, vegetables, pork, chicken, sticky rice and other traditional dishes such as five-colour steamed glutinous rice and molasses-sweetened glutinous rice cake.

“I have been selling in this market for a long time; my clients are not just Mong but also tourists”, said Lu Seo Venh, the owner of a cloth shop in the Na Ho market.

The market is especially exciting during the days ahead of the Tet holiday, when the community joins and celebrates with cultural activities and folk games, such as playing the Khen (panpipe), swinging, and spinning tops.

Nguyen Van Dan, Chairman of Trung Son commune’s People’s Committee said the Na Ho market, as a place for goods and cultural exchange, contributes to preserving identities of ethnic minorities in the province.

Local authorities are making every effort to raise public awareness of preserving the special cultural values of the locality, including turning the market into an attractive tourist destination, he added.

VNA