Sa Pa is not only beautiful in the eyes of foreign visitors because of the unique beauty of the terraced fields, the contemplative nature of the Northwest mountains, and the ruggedness of Fansipan peak. Sa Pa is also beautiful in every aspect of daily life, in the simplicity of eating, dressing, walking, and standing of the local people, and also in their traditions. A prominent tradition of theirs is the Sa Pa Love Market. That’s why today Cuong will provide a guide to visiting the Sa Pa Love Market for those of you who are traveling to Sapa for the first time.
Where is this place located?
Many people ask Cuong where the Sa Pa Love Market is located, so I will tell you the location of this famous Sapa tourist spot. The Love Market is no longer held on an empty piece of land in front of the gate during the New Year market, but now takes place at a fixed location, which is the square in front of the Stone Church. This is a location very close to the center and is where lively cultural activities of the town of Sapa take place during festivals. The Sa Pa Love Market is now held regularly every Saturday in the square area in front of the Stone Church. Every Saturday evening, the square area is more crowded than usual. Around 6 to 7 pm on Saturdays, tourists visiting Sapa have the opportunity to visit the church area, the square, and witness the famous Sa Pa Love Market activities.
A few words about the Sa Pa Love Market
The Sa Pa Love Market is a traditional cultural feature of the Mong, Dao ethnic groups in the highlands of Lao Cai province, and the Northwest region of our country in general since ancient times. Most ethnic groups such as the Mong, Dao, Tay, Giay… residing in Sa Pa live in the Muong Hoa valley, where the Muong Hoa river originates from small streams on the peak of Phan Xi Păng mountain. The water from the river helps the minority community here in agriculture and daily activities. Through conversations with the village elders, Cuong learned that in the past, the Sa Pa Love Market only took place once a year. Spending the whole year working in the fields; opening eyes to stumble upon mountains, stepping on forest trees, only one day to focus on love affairs. Young men and women find each other at the market, wives meet old lovers, husbands look for past girlfriends. Just one day, then everyone goes back home, couples who meet each other plan weddings, those who haven’t found each other yet wait with regret for the next opportunity. In the morning, people return to their hard work for a meager meal. Love and longing must wait until next year.
However, unlike the love markets of Khau Vai in Ha Giang or Moc Chau in Son La, which are organized once a year, the Sapa love market now takes place regularly on Saturday evenings with many unique activities. The name “Love Market” may have been given by tourists in the early 19th century. The two words “Love Market” have become part of the social understanding of love and marriage. It can be explained, but there is no definitive definition of these two words put together. Because, to call it a market, there must be buying and selling. But love is not for sale here, nor is it bought. So, can it really be called a market!!! Ironically, those in love use the market as a meeting place. Therefore, in a nutshell, the Love Market is a place for meetings, exchanging feelings, with romantic gestures taking place at the market according to local customs and traditions. Of course, it is easy to understand because the market is the focal point of most cultural activities of the highland people.
At the Sapa Love Market, young men and women from the Northwest villages come here to meet, interact romantically with many lively activities such as tug of war, playing the leaf horn, and singing love songs. After this night market, many young couples become closer. Some of them even become lifelong partners.
This small town square is located in a cool climate area all year round, and in some years, there is snowfall, which is romantic for those in love, isn’t it? From early Saturday evening, under the streets and at the churchyard, you can see many women with red headscarves and embroidered outfits adorned with silver rings, silver buttons, and small coins attached to their clothes. Not only that, but this Sapa tourism destination becomes even more attractive with cheers following each step, cute clusters of bells attached to headscarves. In front of the Stone Church gate, there is usually a group of about ten young men in traditional costumes adjusting their outfits, tuning their leaf horns to present themselves in the best way possible to the girls they have their eyes on.
Then the sky darkened and Sapa was engulfed in thick fog and cold, the roads leading to the church area became busier and more crowded than ever. And it was time for the mountain forest dance to begin with the sounds coming from the sweet melodious flute, the young men and women stepping into the festival hour with dance steps that did not miss a beat. The flute sounds like inviting melodies, sometimes solemn, sometimes lively, echoing throughout a corner of the market in front of the church. Visiting this Sapa tourism destination on a Saturday night will attract many domestic and foreign tourists with the sound of the flutes played by the young men, drawing them to the central area. Everyone tries to squeeze in to witness the talented young men and women performing and singing charmingly together.
A Market That’s Not a Market
Most of us think that a market must involve trading and buying/selling activities. However, the Love Market in Sapa is completely different. Just one visit here and you will understand the interesting principles of this market. At this Sapa tourism location, love and affection are not for sale and there are no buyers, everything is based on the principles of freedom and voluntary consent of both parties. Sometimes the seller wants to sell but the “buyer” doesn’t accept. Sometimes the buyer wants to buy but the seller doesn’t want to sell. Sometimes both parties agree but there is no product exchanged other than emotions. That is the special feature of the Love Market in Sapa. Of course, it doesn’t happen in a simple way like regular trading activities in a market, but includes cultural activities, exchanges with the distinctive characteristics of the ethnic people such as tug of war, leaf horn blowing, love singing, and many other extremely unique cultural activities. If you go on a Sapa tour or travel to Sapa independently, when you come here, you will feel the lively and bustling atmosphere of the Love Market in Sapa.
Simple and full of rustic charm
I believe that we are used to preparing very carefully before each date, planning the destinations thoroughly to make the meeting more interesting, right? However, for the people of this ethnic group, everything seems much simpler and more rustic. This is evident in the things they prepare before going to the Sapa love market. For men, traditional clothes and shiny silver bracelets seem to be the “standard” outfit for the Sapa love market. However, those without traditional clothes can wear a “comple tàu” outfit with bee nest sandals. Just that is enough to become a “handsome guy” in the eyes of the ladies. Once dressed neatly, some will be assigned to carry the khèn, while others will carry corn wine, which must be corn wine. The corn wine is stored in cans or plastic bottles like Lavie bottles, and the cups are made of bamboo or coconut shells, so that when you drink, you can taste the rich flavor of the land, the sky, and the mountains of the Northwest here.
As for the young women in the highlands, they will wear the most beautiful traditional dresses and don unique jewelry to go to the market. For example, H’Mong girls often wear traditional silver bracelets, and if they like someone, they will proactively tie it around that person’s wrist. Being tied means becoming a member of that girl’s family, and if a girl ties a boy’s wrist, it means “I tie your wrist because I dedicate my love to you, please don’t follow anyone else.” Not only that, the bracelet also symbolizes warding off evil spirits, so if a shaman ties it for someone, no evil spirit can harm that person. In the past, the traditional bracelets were made of a few green and red threads, but now they are made larger. H’Mong girls not only give these bracelets to their loved ones but also to female tourists. They believe that by giving them to tourists, they will remember the H’Mong people, visit the love market, and buy their traditional silver jewelry, so don’t hesitate to accept a traditional bracelet if they offer you one. Additionally, each person will prepare a “promise item” to give to the boy they like, which could be a ring, a bracelet, or a comb, and so on.
A fleeting confession…
One of the most interesting activities that Cuong finds is witnessing the fleeting confessions of couples. After drinking a few glasses of wine, eyes start to sparkle and hearts become braver. The young men will cut through the forest and play the flute whispering to their lovers. If the girl is not interested, they will have to show off their skills by dancing and playing the flute gracefully around her. An interesting fact is that the Dao people’s customs do not prohibit married individuals from seeking a lover. Therefore, Dao men and women can feel more comfortable attending this market. Additionally, you may also come across young girls aged 13 or 14 at this Sapa love market, as they follow their older sisters to gradually get acquainted with their fascinating ethnic culture. To confess to a girl, the young men will surround her, play their cassette tapes near her to record their ethnic love songs or use sweet words, flute melodies, or sweet tones to flirt with her, then give her a souvenir gift. If the girl is not interested, she will run away, and at this point, the young man will perform a gesture called “pulling” by holding her hand to keep her close, showing his determined confession. When a young man is “chosen,” the girl will hand him a pre-prepared engagement token, as Cuong mentioned above, and of course, the crowd will be excited and disperse, while the girl returns to her friends for a “temporary escape.” When everything is calm, these people will then take the girl to a hill to have a heartfelt conversation.
Gentle “love reinforcement”
The uniqueness of the Love Market in Sa Pa is the H’Mong boys and girls who come here to find their lovers. Boys play the leaf flute to find a girlfriend, if the girl is interested, she approaches, the boy continues to play, if the girl really likes it, the boy takes the girl to chat on the hillside or somewhere. There, there is only land, sky, and the love they have for each other through vows and promises.
Once Cuong visited the Love Market in Sa Pa, he met Mrs. H’Chor in the Nò Chảy village, which is a day’s journey from the Love Market in Sa Pa. She and her husband rode horses early in the morning and arrived at the market by 5 pm. She brought along her 6-month-old daughter, who was very cute. She spoke fluent Vietnamese and said, “Going to the Love Market is also a way to ‘strengthen love.’ Seven months ago, I found my husband at this market. Every market day, my husband and I come here for fun, to sell traditional clothes and bags.” She also added that the H’Mong people have a strange custom that when a girl is married, she brings her husband to the Love Market. The husband will join other men in playing the flute (playing songs dedicated to married men) and drinking corn wine. The wife dances and sings (performing songs dedicated to married women, dancing with men who are married, excluding her own husband). When the husband drinks, the wife sits beside him pouring wine and encourages him to drink more, as it shows that her husband has many friends. This is just the H’Mong culture, so don’t take it the wrong way.
When the husband is drunk and doesn’t know anything anymore, the wife will carry him on the horse’s back and take him home. If the husband vomits on the way, the wife will lay him down and take care of him until he wakes up. By now, you probably understand why Cuong mentioned this earlier.
Cuong also met a soldier at the Sa Pa market. He was the best soldier Giàng A Lẩu in Battalion M74, Division B16, Military Region 2. Lẩu brought his wife, Châu Thị Chú, 19 years old, to the Love Market and mentioned that they had been married for a year. He said he didn’t often go to the Love Market in Sa Pa because he was in the military and didn’t have time like before. Soldiers are not allowed to drink alcohol, so when they go to the Love Market, everyone drinks, but Lẩu doesn’t. Their home is half a day’s journey from the Love Market, and when he has an 8-day leave, he usually takes his wife to the market for 2 days before returning. Cuong offered Lẩu a cigarette, but he refused, saying, “Soldiers don’t smoke, I quit,” and his wife, who didn’t speak Vietnamese, just smiled shyly behind him. Thanks to this, Cuong realized that the people here are truly simple and sincere.
How to get to the Love Market in Sa Pa.
To get to the Sapa love market is quite simple because this market takes place right in the central square in front of the Stone Church. In addition, there are 2 Sapa tourist attractions that are very popular among young people for their amazing views and backgrounds for check-in photos, which are Sun Plaza with the Sapa Station beach and Sapa park. Located in the center between the main transportation and tourist routes, such as Thach Son Street, Pham Xuan Huan Street, Fansipan Street, and Cau May Street, it is very easy to find your way here. Just imagine after having a satisfying meal, strolling on the large streets with cool, fresh air, and arriving at the Sapa love market with its beautiful handicraft stalls and delicious snack stalls. The food stalls here are perfect for trying out some casual dishes like grilled rice paper, roasted corn and sweet potatoes, or boiled peanuts, roasted chestnuts, or desserts like ice cream, for example.
How to get there?
- Motorbike Rental: When visiting Sapa, you can rent a motorbike to get around for a price of around 100,000 – 150,000 VND/bike, but you will need to refuel the bike to reach the sightseeing spots. The rental price is usually calculated per day, typically from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, and renting in the morning or afternoon costs the same. If you are comfortable riding a motorbike like Cuong, this is the best choice as it is convenient, cost-effective, and provides the best experience. Moreover, if you enjoy adventure, you can drive to Heaven’s Gate located at the highest point of O Quy Ho Pass, known as one of the four great mountain passes in the northern region. This spot is only about 10.6km from Sapa town, starting from the stone church, but due to the winding and steep road, it will take you about 30-35 minutes to reach there.
- Xe ôm: To take a motorbike taxi in Sapa, you will hire a motorbike taxi driver and make a contract to take you to famous tourist spots. Usually, it costs around 100,000-150,000 VND for about 4-5 nearby tourist spots. If you are traveling in a large group, you can also rent a 4-16 seater tourist car to visit tourist spots in Sapa for around 400,000 – 500,000 VND per spot, or you can negotiate to rent it for the whole day.
- Taxi: If you choose to take a taxi in Sapa, this method is suitable for those traveling with a group or family. However, Cuong notes that taxi prices in Sapa are quite high and fares may be calculated based on the destination rather than the meter, so you should ask for the price before traveling.
What is in the Love Market in Sapa?
When you come to the Love Market in Sapa, you will participate in many outstanding entertainment activities such as watching cultural performances, admiring and taking photos with ethnic children in traditional costumes, visiting the stone church, and enjoying delicious grilled dishes at the nearby pedestrian street.
Traditional ethnic dance performances
At the Sapa love market, on Saturday evenings, you will hear the sound of horns and lively music echoing. Gather where the crowd is, and you will witness scenes of young men playing horns and circling around. Meanwhile, young women dressed in traditional attire, wearing ankle bracelets and holding umbrellas, dance and jump around. The audience mainly consists of tourists visiting Sapa, couples, middle-aged individuals, families, or groups of friends curious to see how the love market unfolds. The performance is not just traditional ethnic dances but also stories from the past about romantic relationships passed down through the ethnic cultures. By paying attention to this performance, you will easily notice that the dance is just a part of it, while the rest is about the gestures and actions of young men and women in the past when they visited the Sapa love market, stylized to create gentle gestures, making it seem like they are dancing.
Buying and selling handicrafts and taking photos at the Sapa love market
The square area is also a place where festivals and entertainment activities often take place on special occasions such as September 2nd, Tet, anniversaries… In addition, the square area becomes a gathering place for local people to sell souvenir items with traditional patterns every evening. When you come here, you will have the opportunity to see local children setting up stalls with their mothers. The stalls of these children are just small pieces of cloth displaying eye-catching bracelets, rings, bags, and scarves with traditional patterns. At Sapa Love Market, a common activity for tourists is to buy something from these children in order to take a photo with them for free. It’s worth noting that these items are mainly mass-produced Chinese goods, so they are very affordable. It’s a good deal to get a beautiful photo as a souvenir along with a little item to take home, isn’t it?
When visiting Sapa, don’t forget to visit the Love Market, and you can also explore the Stone Church in the cool evening air.
Stone Church is a religious architectural work built in the late 19th century. It is considered the most intact ancient architectural landmark left by the French until today. The Stone Church has now become one of the indispensable symbols of Sapa mountain town. The church is located in the center of Sapa town, and you can freely enter without having to pay an entrance fee. However, the lighting in the evening is not good enough for a beautiful picture. If you want to take beautiful selfies at the Stone Church, Cuong suggests you come back in the morning. But don’t forget to visit the pedestrian street and enjoy hundreds of Sapa’s snacks such as skewered meat, grilled eggs, sweet potatoes, corn, chicken, mushrooms, which are both fragrant and delicious, just mentioning them makes Cuong crave them.
Entrance Fees
As this is a market located in the central square, there is no entrance fee. However, you should bring some money to enjoy the local cuisine at Sapa Love Market and the pedestrian street, buy some sparkling handicrafts, and participate in some rewarding games here.
Other Tourist Attractions
Once you have visited Sapa and experienced the Love Market in the evening, why not explore other famous tourist attractions in Sapa during the day.
Heaven’s Gate: In Sapa, there are 2 locations known as Heaven’s Gate with picturesque views for great photos, one is at the highest point of O Quy Ho Pass and the other is on the top of Ham Rong Mountain. Both places have stunning scenery and are famous cloud hunting spots.
- Heaven’s Gate O Quy Ho Pass: Known as one of the four great mountain passes in the north with an altitude of about 2000km and a length of about 50km, but only about 10.6 km from Sapa town, Cuong must admit that this is one of the most dangerous mountain passes he has ever crossed. With sharp U-turns and steep descents and ascents, this place truly deserves the title of one of the four great mountain passes in the north. However, this route hides many beautiful scenes that touch the heart, especially Heaven’s Gate. Located at the highest point of the mountain pass, Heaven’s Gate appears with a harmonious blend of earth and sky. Distant mountain peaks are opened up by clouds, gradually turning into a bright, blue sky. Just hearing about it, Cuong knows that those who love traveling must be eager to conquer this pass. However, Cuong reminds you that the title of one of the four great mountain passes in the north is not just a title, so remember to drive slowly and if possible, wear full protective gear including gloves, scarves, and neck warmers because even in summer, it can be quite cold here.
- Heaven’s Gate of Ham Rong Mountain: Don’t let the name Ham Rong deceive you because there are no dragon jaws here!!! The name originates from the view of the mountain, where people will see the entire mountain resembling a dragon about to take flight, with the dragon’s head at the peak of the mountain and the dragon’s tail resting on the Heaven’s Gate. That’s why the mountain is named Ham Rong. Local legends say that long ago, there was a fierce flood, during which a pair of dragons were entwined and unaware. When the dragons woke up, the flood arrived, and the dragons flew up in panic; the male and female dragons were separated. The female dragon turned into stone but still gazes towards the male dragon in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range to the west. The path to Ham Rong Mountain is located behind the ancient stone church in Sapa, so if you want to climb Ham Rong Mountain, you have to go to that stone church. The Sapa stone church is quite close to the center of Sapa town, so it only takes a few minutes to walk there. With an entrance fee of 70,000 VND per person and an hour to climb to the mountain peak through stone-built steps, passing through small scenes like the Orchid Garden, Peach Garden, Sapa Telecommunication Station, Cloud Yard, and Heaven’s Gate, you will have the opportunity to admire the beautiful scenery of the Northwest mountains with many flowers planted in these locations, full of color and making the mountain space more vibrant than ever. With each location offering a different beauty, why not take the time to come here to enjoy the scenery and capture some unforgettable moments.
Notes for visiting and having fun here
- Visitors should come to Sapa on weekends. Only on Saturdays do the locals organize the Sapa love market. If you have a 2-day 1-night or 3-day 2-night Sapa tour, you should spend the last evening of your trip going to the market and make sure it falls on a Saturday night. By going at that time, you can explore the cultural activities of the love market and also enjoy many local specialties there.
- The Sapa night market not only sells food to eat on the spot but also offers many Sapa specialties as gifts. The chestnuts and fruits (peaches, plums) here are really delicious, so you can consider trying them. Remember to bargain when buying souvenirs or clothes because the vendors will often raise the prices from 30,000 to 50,000 VND (sometimes even more).
- If you want to take pictures with ethnic minority children, you will usually need to buy a souvenir that those children sell. The small, cute items are not too expensive, so you can definitely give it a try. However, sometimes at the Sapa love market, you may still see scenes of children pulling tourists to take pictures or asking to buy things, which can make many people uncomfortable.
- Since the Sapa love market is not included in any Sapa tour, including full-package tours or day tours, you will have to go to this Sapa tourist spot to experience it. However, if you still want the love market to be part of your tour, you can request the travel company to design a special Sapa tour for you with friends or family.
The Sapa love market may have lost its original essence, but it cannot be denied that more and more people are becoming aware of the love market and Sapa as this land has become a key tourist town in Lao Cai. Therefore, through this guide, Cuong hopes that you will learn more about the Sapa love market and arrange your time to experience it.
