Detailed instructions and notes when going to Sapa Love Market

Sapa Love Market is one of the unique cultural features of the indigenous people. Many people think that this is a place specializing in selling items related to male and female love. But the reality is far different from what you imagine. Let's learn more about the love market with Dong Travel through the following article!

1. Sapa Love Market Past and Present

Sapa Love Market is a special market, both a market and not a market. In Love market, you will not find buyers or sellers, but only fun activities of the boys and girls of the Dao and H'mong people.

Like Khau Vai and Moc Chau Tinh Market, Love market takes place after Tet, once a year. This is a place for boys and girls to give love to each other. Young men and women of the H'mong and Dao ethnic groups will find their soul mate in this market.

1.1 Sapa Love Market in the past

In the past, the love market only took place in a corner of the market, usually an empty lot located in front of the Sapa fair. After the regular market session ends, people will gather at the market gate to participate in the activities of dancing the flute and blowing leaves.

Boys and girls stand in small groups. If he meets the right person he likes, the boy will blow the trumpet and dance, the girl will also spread the umbrella and dance with him. This is a unique charm dance of the Sapa people. Many people believe that this custom is somewhat similar to the way of singing the love relationship with Quan Ho in Bac Ninh.

1.2 Sapa Love Market today

According to the flow of time, Love market has had many changes. Tourists will hardly have the opportunity to witness the charm dance of boys and girls anymore. As technology advances, we have more means of expressing our feelings than before.

Love Market is now only a tourist destination for tourists from all over the world when visiting Sapa. Every late Saturday night, there will be several groups of young people playing the trumpet to serve tourists. Love market becomes a place to both reminisce about the past and satisfy the curiosity about the Love market of the Mong and Dao ethnic groups.

2. Time and location of Sapa Love Market

2.1 Where is Sapa Love Market?

In the past, Love market took place in the empty land in front of the market gate at the beginning of the year. Now, it has been moved to a permanent location, the square in front of the Stone Church. This is also the organization of other cultural activities every festival of the people of Sapa.

2.2 When does Sapa love market take place?

On what day does Sapa love market meet? What time does Sapa love market start? is probably the most common question with tourists who want to visit this special market.

Sapa people hold fairs every Sunday morning. The time of the Love market is the night before the fair, that is, Saturday night. Around 6-7 pm on Saturday, locals and tourists will visit the church and square to participate in the activities of the Love market.

2.3 The right time to go to love market

With the current frequency of once a week, you can join the Love market at any time. However, each season, Sapa Love Market has its own unique features, so it is difficult to choose the right time to visit the market.

Spring (February-April)

Spring is when the weather in Sapa is very beautiful, peach blossoms and plum blossoms bloom everywhere. You can feel the bustling atmosphere, bursting with vitality of both people and animals welcoming the spring here.

Market participants wear new clothes, and sell many unique items. You can also see a lot of couples in love going to the market to buy Tet clothes.

Summer (May-July)

Summer is the season of many specialties of Sapa such as peaches, plums, apples, and apricots. Therefore, you can find many places selling these fruits in the market. Their prices are relatively affordable, cheaper than buying in Hanoi, moreover, they are guaranteed to be homegrown.

Autumn (August-October solar calendar)

Sapa Love Market in the fall is a bit gloomier than usual because few tourists visit. The market returns to its true nature. People not only go to buy supplies but also participate in special musical performances by the youth group.

Winter (November to January)

Although the winter weather in Sapa is very harsh with the cold, but this is the time when Sapa is most crowded. Tourists from all over the world come to Sapa during this time with the desire to see the snow, and feel the beauty of the mountains in winter.

3. What does Sapa Love Market have?

3.1 Performance of traditional dances of ethnic people

Every Saturday night, when visiting Love Market, you can hear the sound of the flute from time to time. This sound is made by the boys performing. The girls will wear traditional clothes, holding umbrellas, and wearing rattles to dance around the boys.

3.2 Buying and selling brocade and taking pictures at Love Market

The square area is a place to sell souvenirs with unique brocade motifs. You can easily see boys and girls following their mothers to display goods. These stalls are usually very simple, displaying some jewelry such as bracelets, bags, brocade towels,...

3.3 Ancient stone church near Sapa love market

Located near the square is an ancient stone church, so you can also take a walk around the church in the chilly evening air.

In addition, there is also a Sapa food market with delicious foods in cold weather.

Don't forget to buy some hot snacks such as skewers, grilled eggs, and baked corn. There's nothing better than taking a walk while chatting with hot food in hand.

3.4 Sunplaza virtual living spot not to be missed when coming to Sapa Love Market

Sun Plaza is inspired by the design of the British Big Ben clock tower, so it has the appearance of classic European architecture, very eye-catching. The luxury of Sun Plaza is even more prominent among the rustic and rustic Sapa scenery. Therefore, this is one of the hottest places to take photos of tourists when visiting Sapa today.

3.5 Swing Sapa is magically beautiful

Swing Sapa is a new tourist destination, designed to resemble the scene in the novel. You can freely live virtual with all different nooks and crannies.

4. Enjoy delicious food when coming to Sapa Love Market

4.1 Thang co

Thang co is a traditional specialty of Sapa people. The main processing materials of Thang Co are organs and horse bones. Today, the way to cook thang co has changed a bit, but still retains the same taste as before. Eating Thang Co, sipping corn wine, apple cider in the cold night of Sapa will be an unforgettable experience for anyone.

4.2 Sturgeon and Salmon Hotpot

Due to the characteristics of weather and natural conditions, Sapa has become the largest farming place for sturgeon and salmon in Vietnam. Delicious fish flavor, firm, fatty meat, and rich in nutritional value. In the middle of the cold winter, if you can enjoy a hot pot of fatty fish, there's nothing like it!

4.3 Pigs stealing armpits at Sa Pa love market

Indigenous Sapa pigs are raised freely and eat natural food, so they are very small, weighing 4-6kg. When brought to the market to sell, people often take their armpits to relieve fatigue, so this pig breed is also called armpit pig. Because of the natural farming, the armpit pork is very firm, suitable for roasting pork. The crispy, greasy taste of the dish will make you remember it forever.

4.4 Sapa Barbecue

Sapa barbecue is very diverse in ingredients, in addition, it is also marinated by mac Khen seeds - a spice only found in the Northwest region, so their taste is very unique. You have your own grill, and food selection at an affordable price.

4.5 Seven-color sticky rice

Seven-color sticky rice is made from the most fragrant glutinous rice grains. Rice is soaked in water from natural leaves and tubers to produce eye-catching colors. Seven-color sticky rice is not only delicious to the eye but also has a particularly delicious taste.

5. Experience going to Sapa Love Market

You need to note a few points to show respect for the culture here. To avoid unintended misunderstandings, you should not jokingly tease local boys and girls in the Love market. Do not wear national costumes to avoid becoming an unwilling victim of the custom of catching your wife when walking around Sa Pa Love market!

• Should travel to Sapa on the weekend: To participate in the Love market, you should visit the town on the weekend.
• Preservation of personal belongings and belongings: In any crowded tourist destination, you also need to pay attention to personal belongings and papers, especially at markets with a busy flow of people. You're better off just holding a small amount of money just in case, storing your phone carefully and not stuffing it in your back pocket.
• Be careful when eating: Food in the market is very diverse and rich, but you should be careful, avoid trying too many dishes. Just give priority to restaurants that sell cooked food, and drink boiled water if your stomach is not very healthy.
• Should go in large groups: Large groups will help you create more happy memories. In addition, traveling with many people, you will avoid being teased by the locals, or by the locals.
• Remember to pay the price before buying: In the market, there are many souvenir items, or specialty fruits. However, you need to ask the price first and pay the price (if you feel it is too expensive), otherwise you will be cut and slashed "tragic".
• Buy souvenirs when you want to take pictures with ethnic children. The value of the gift is usually not high, so you can definitely try it.