Located in Can Cau commune of Si Ma Cai district, in the heart of a picturesque valley surrounded by rice terraces and mountains, 30 km north of Bac Ha, Can Cau market, famous for the buffalo trade, is held every Saturday morning.
Smaller than Bac Ha, the market of Can Cau which gathers various minorities such as the Flower Hmong, the Black Dao, the Giay and the Nung, remains quite preserved.
To get to Can Cau market from Bac Ha, you need to take road 153 for about 20 km. On the beautiful scenic road to Can Cau, you can make several stops to admire the original Hmong mud houses.
From a distance, Can Cau market is really picturesque and lively. It is organized right next to road 153, the only red gravel road connecting Bac Ha and the border district of Si Ma Cai.
The market is surrounded by rice terraces and grandiose mountains that follow one another endlessly.
At first, this place was just an empty space, then some people had the idea to use it as a place for retail sales of products. Everyone started to gather here. The one who raises buffaloes sells buffaloes, the one who makes clothes sells clothes… and little by little it became a real living market: Can Cau market.
Can Cau market is not yet modernized but it has been part of the life of the local people for hundreds of years. As a result, it retains its own ethnic character and unique perspective, giving unique sensations and unforgettable memories to all travelers who visit it.
The market of Can Cau covers an area of more than one hectare, it is organized according to the commercial practices of the Dao. It is divided into different areas for each type of local products: brocatelles, game, fruits and vegetables, medicinal herbs, clothes, tools, textiles, buffaloes, pigs, poultry, birds and dogs, etc.
The main products on the market are water buffalos.
This is the most important buffalo market in northern Vietnam. The atmosphere in this area is very lively and cheerful, with customers and sellers, standing or sitting, buying and negotiating with each other. Negotiations between buyers and sellers are always energetic and each transaction ends with a firm handshake.
Once you visit Can Cau market, you will have the opportunity to taste local specialties such as thang co – a soup made of horse viscera, Tao Meo alcohol (made from a small local apple) or corn alcohol…
Like all the mountain markets, the one of Can Câu is not only a place of commercial exchanges but also a place of meeting, and especially of rejoicing after a week of hard work.
Come and discover the cultural richness of the Northwest through this market.
