There are many traditionally strange markets in the north of Vietnam that attract many tourists’ curiosity. If you have traveled to the south, I can say for sure that you have heard or at least once experienced an interestingly pure type of exchanging goods and services of locals there. They are traditional markets floating on rivers that I call “floating markets” shortly. To those who were born and lived in the Mekong Delta, floating markets are regarded as a smart invention to adapt to difficult living condition in which water are up and down daily and rivers are everywhere. Though it plays the same role as other markets, it reflects a clearly cultural identity of the southerners in Vietnam.
Specialty of Vietnamese Southerners
Mekong delta is one of low-lying areas around the Mekong, Southeast Asia’s largest river. It has a vast system of rivers, swamps and islands, home to Khmer pagodas. Water is not as blue as in beaches of Nha Trang and Da Nang cities, but it appeals visitors for carrying loads of silt. Abstractly, it is the flavor of friendly local people whose faces are browned by the sun day after day and always shine with big smiles. Floating markets are so popular, typically Phung Hiep, Cai Rang and Cai Be markets.
How to reach there?
From early morning, boats loading full of fruit, vegetables and many local dishes are gathered. Also, it is when you can start with a motorized boat to visit the specialty of Mekong delta, Cai Rang floating market and experience how to exchange goods and fruit on rivers. Consider the tour if you are sick of restlessly choppy water surface on rivers. Coming to the market, you feel not only a clearly busy atmosphere, but also can have breakfast among the river. A narrow space on a simple boat is still equipped custom-built tools to keep all dishes hot. For that reason, bowls of steaming noodle and soup cake are top choices for visitors. Indeed, it is such a really appealing ambiance.
On the contrary, people in different regions of Vietnam take their goods, fruits and vegetables to the market and sell to retailers. Normally, these retailers have shops on busy streets or permitted spaces in traditional markets. Therefore, it will be more convenient to store and display products to shoppers. It is different with the southerners. Each seller has their own boat, a simple and small boat. Lives on rivers are much more required creativity. You can catch up many boats with a pole. They hang goods they want to sell upon that. A simple, but definitely effective method that helps buyers know where they should go.
Beautiful way of exchanging goods and products
Normally, each boat sell a specific goods. You just look at the boat selling what you want and call toward them. Certainly, they will reach your boat very soon. You can have a Vietnamese bread or you can taste local fruit dessert without any effort of rowing. In particular, all goods and foods are as native and simple as local people are. Moreover, you also find out some floating restaurants, bar even floating gas stations. All is there, on river.
Canal will be easier and faster when visiting the largest retail market in Mekong delta located at Phung Hiep, Hau Giang, Vietnam. It daily opens from 3 am to 11 am. Therefore, if you would like to experience the market, you should stay overnight there, wake up early and take a boat in the morning. On a typical day, you will see tens of kinds of local fruit and all can be a fresh dessert for “floating” breakfast on the river.
The largest wholesales floating market
Since 19th century, Cai Be wholesales market was formed as the largest floating market in the southern Vietnam. The market having clearly cultural identities of the western region is busy all around the clock, even in national holidays. Raft and boat are the most used means of transportation to exchange goods and products.
Situated on Tien River, adjacent to three provinces of Tien Giang, Vinh Long and Ben Tre, the market, on usual days has about 400 boats loading products, mainly fruit and vegetables. Impressively, people living on boats rarely get on land. It is likely to have a special bond between locals with their boat. Many generations have been being with and on that “mobile” house. Above all, tt is considered as a culture of the western region where thousands of rivers run into the sea.
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