Vietnam’s terrain is special in
its ways of clear distinction between trench and ridge. In many regions people
live in high areas in cool atmosphere, meanwhile others prefer or learn to get used
to making a living right on boat along the tropical river, rowing all the day.
These may be both harder than the plain but we, humans, are extremely good at
conquering the nature to support our living and make it brighten in the most
special way. And what people do in Mekong river delta is a real picture of
stunning lifestyle invented by local inhabitants, which has delivered the soul of
marketplace in a very different manner - floating market – Chợ nổi. It is a
market where people sell and buy things as usual except for the fact that it
stays afloat on the river.
In the past, the areas adjacent
to the rivers were the first to be populated. Thus most communities in the west
region of Vietnam were built at the sides of rivers. You can see that until
today house are built on stilt along the river, with the main roadpath heading
to water where boat is waiting for. Because of special terrain covered by the
river, waterways served as means of
transportation and the center of economic activity as well. Boats were mainly
used for both local and regional trade, bringing goods from those that produced
to those that could barter and trade. Such ways of life of the riverside
communities, especially in the Tien River and Hau River increase number of
floating markets.
Nowadays, on arriving in the
Delta, you can see many motorized boats travelling to and fro, carrying goods,
fruits, other commodities for trading and even people carry their home, dog as
the most popular pet to live on their own vessels.
What’s on sale in the market?
Home produce and fruits
The products on floating markets
are incredibly abundant and diversified. The most special product is local
fresh fruits and vegetables. Farmers bring their goods, fruits and vegetables normally
grown from the nearby gardens or from the orchards to the markets and sell them
to local dealers. These tropical fruits and vegetables are harvested on the
previous day and brought to floating market on the next early morning, so they
are completely fresh and delicious.
Ideally, at the floating market,
local products are placed in large motorized boat, including but not limited to
the assorted tropical fruits and vegetables like rambutan, mango, pineapple,
dragon fruit, mango, star fruits, fresh coconut and durian.
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| Rambutan orchad - also open to tourists |
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| Small waterway path through mandarin orchad |
Dishes
On the floating markets, you do
not only find people buying and selling fruits, you also find floating
restaurants, floating bars, floating gas stations, and many other floating
shops. Eating right on a boat, must be the most intriguing experience ever. Gordon
Ramsay, the Chef and Creator of Master Chef US already spent time traveling on
boat in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta to find out our special cuisine. He had a chance
to try Hu tieu noodles prepared by Aunt Hai, a modest ordinary Vietnamese lady.
So inspired by the dish, Chef Ramsay learned himself and decided to choosed Hu
tieu as a challenge for the Master Chef contestants.
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| Hu tieu - Rice noodles made by Aunt Hai |
You may see many other home cooks
living on selling noodles like Aunt Hai in Mekong delta. One of the
best-selling noodles soup lady, who wakes up at 3:00 am have green beans, meat,
rice noodles, Vietnamese spices, kitchen and a large pan of broth all loaded in
her small boat. For decades, such ladies have been selling thousands of noodles
soups, beef noodle, bun rieu and other traditional cakes for people living on
Mekong river. Their soups are not only well-prepared with charming broth,
genuine and fresh herbs but a souce of fun, peacefulness and life enjoyment
after hard day of working. You may feel yourself the taste of harmony between a little bit
tiredness, flavor of the countryside, and the love of Mekong river all the year
enclosing and nurturing Vietnamese souls.
What to see and do here?
A floating market usually starts
at 4 or 5 in the morning before dawn and ends when the sun rises high at 9 or
10am. To visit the floating market, you should stay in the Mekong Delta area,
wake up early and take one of the boats first hour in the morning. If you do a
one day excursion, the market will be already closed by the time you get here. Trading
begins as early as 4.00 am, and by sunrise, the waterways are clogged with the
sampans of marketeers and customers.
Because the trading is on the
river, so it must be different from other land markets. The “stall” boat on the
market has no title or brand or shop sign. The seller will hang a sample of
product that they sell on the head of their boat for the buyer to recognize.
For example, if they sell bananas, they will hang a bunch of banana on a pole
and put it on the head of their boat. The Southern people are also very
friendly, hospitable. They always keep their smiles on their faces and never cheat
on customers about price.
After the market you’ll be
ferried off to your breakfast break at a local orchard. You’ll be led around a
fairly large garden growing a big variety of local fruits, which you’ll get to
sample after your walk. Besides, you can also find garden tools, crafts,
sourvenirs and Vietnamese breakfast like rice noodle “Bun” or “Hu Tieu”. It is easily to search for boat selling
breakfast just by looking for the smoke and delicious smell.
How many floating markets in
Mekong delta?
Well-known floating markets in
Vietnam includes Cai Be (Tien Giang province), Cai Rang, Phong Dien (Can Tho
city), Phung Hiep (Hau Giang province), Tra On (Vinh Long province), Long Xuyen
(An Giang province).
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| Cai Be Floating Market - Tien Giang province, open time 5 am - 6am |
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| Grapefruits ready to the market |
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Phung Hiep market since 1915 - Hau Giang province |
Cultural feature in the marketplace
One of the most noticeable
feature of floating market is “Cây Bẹo”, which is a small pillar put in front
of every boat. What can be bought from the boat will be hung on the small
pillar as a notice sign. This way of advertising on-situ is a cultural
uniqueness of floating market, without making any sound nor trying to keep
customers but in fact, it is very effective in attracting such gods who have no
way but looking at the special pillar for the needed items.
Boat is the main vehicles in the
marketplace for not only the merchants but also the customers going to the
market by sampan. In the middle of hundreds of sampans and motorized boats,
hardly can we see any collision. Here people lead a simple rustic life,
co-working in the same river and treating one another with sincerity from the
bottom of one’s heart. That’s why people tolerate each other to lead a friendly
and peaceful life together.
Floating market is one of
cultural specialties of Mekong river delta which must be well preserved and
promote in the future, especially under extremely adverse weather conditions
today.
