If you are traveling to SaPa, surely Bac Ha market is an indispensable place in your schedule. You will feel in the most authentic way the daily life of ethnic minorities in the Northwest such as H'Mong, Dao, Tay... through the rustic beauty of Bac Ha market.

A miniature world with products, delicacies and goods imbued with cultural identity and lifestyle of the highland ethnic people.

From spices such as herbal seeds, anise, cardamom… to colorful brocade items, from typical fruits to domestic animals such as buffaloes, cows, horses... all have at Bac Ha market.


Bac Ha market is one of the largest highland markets in Vietnam, usually held every Sunday morning in Bac Ha town, Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province.

The market is not only a place to exchange and buy goods, but also a meeting place for local people in the region and surrounding areas.

Goods are displayed for sale simply, people just sell what they have, not fussy, complicated, and there are no scenes of buyers and sellers arguing, stressful and noisy bargaining. For people in the Northwest mountains, going to the market is like going to a festival. They often wear bright traditional dresses and attend the market with a cheerful and eager mood.

The sincerity and gentleness of the highland people in harmony with the natural and rustic beauty of the surrounding landscape give Bac Ha fair an unmistakable soul, impressing and attracting any visitor who has a chance to visit here.

In the past, Bac Ha market was located on a gentle hill. Coming here, you can be overwhelmed with many small markets such as food market, pet market, brocade market, fruit and vegetable market...

Later, the market was built on a new concrete foundation and divided into 4 areas including: cattle sales area (horses, buffaloes, cows...), grocery shopping area (knives, hoes, shovels...), area selling groceries. selling brocade, wool, fabric, jewelry..., food and drink area, with Thang Co pans emitting attractive smoke. Sapa and Halong bay tours

Talking about Bac Ha market, Thang Co is indispensable, a specialty dish associated with Bac Ha market. This is a favorite dish of the H'Mong people for hundreds of years. By tradition, Thang Co is made from horse meat, but today, it can be cooked with buffalo, beef, or pork.

After a half a day around the shops at the market, there is nothing better than seeing many dishes of the highlanders, enjoying the hot and fragrant bowl of Thang Co. More specifically, eating Thang Co must be accompanied by drinking corn wine, the highlanders say. And if you want to know if that's true or not, you should try once to Bac Ha market.

Over time, the pristine beauty with bold characteristics of the highland ethnic groups remains intact, making Bac Ha one of the most famous upland markets in the North of Vietnam.