Culture - Sports

Khau Vai love market festival to take place in Ha Giang

Myriads of activities featuring the unique culture of ethnic minority groups will be included in the Khau Vai love market festival, which is scheduled in Meo Vac district, Ha Giang, from March 25-27.
Khau Vai love market festival to take place in Ha Giang ảnh 1A young couple at Khau Vai love market (Photo: VNA)

Ha Giang (VNA) – Myriads of activities featuring the unique cultureof ethnic minority groups will be included in the Khau Vai love marketfestival, which is scheduled in Khau Vai commune, Meo Vac district, thenorthern mountainous province of Ha Giang from March 25-27.

According to Tran Duc Quy, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee,the festival aims to preserve the original cultural values of the local ethnicgroups in the locality while attracting visitors and stimulating socio-economicdevelopment in the northernmost area of Vietnam.

Khau Vai love market is a popular attraction in Ha Giang, even when it is heldonly once a year at a location nearly 200km from Ha Giang city. On the 27th of the third lunar month, local ethnic women and men put on their besttraditional costumes to go to the market, where they are free to meet withtheir ex-lovers in public. Husbands and wives arrive at the market togetherbefore they both look for their past partners among the crowd. Spouses do notget angry or jealous because the meeting at the market is just a temporarymoment and does not influence their daily lives or relationship.

Legend has it that a couple were deeply in love but were forbidden to betogether because they were from different ethnic groups. A violent conflictlater occurred between the two tribes and caused bloodshed for both of them. Tostop the fierce battle, the couple decided to part ways with broken hearts. Theythen made the promise to meet once every year in the local market in Khau Vaicommune on the 27th of the third lunar month.


Thehundred-year-old festival now draws thousands of visitors from across thecountry and abroad.

Comingto the festival, visitors can also enjoy traditional games and localspecialties, as well as explore the beauty of the Dong Van Karst Plateau GlobalGeopark.-VNA
VNA
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