LOVE FAIR MARKET IN SAPA

The word “Chợ Tình” is regarded as a social category of marriage, love in lowland people’s thought. It means the market owns the exchange relationship. However, the love here cannot be bought and sold. Therefore, the feature leads to special love fair in Sapa – an attractive destination.
The history of love fair.
Only every Saturday nights, the love fair is meeting, communication place of Dao boys and girls – one of the most crowed ethnic minorities in Sapa after Meo people (Mong people). Since it only takes place on every Sunday mornings to exchange and trade needful things for daily life, the market is very crowded.
 

Sapa Love Fair Market with typical dance

The villages here distribute quite sparsely, far from each other so the native must go there right after next day (Saturday) to be on time for business.
They come to the town on Saturday night to have a rest and arise meetings, dates between boys and girls.
Then, the love fair is established - a beautiful culture in Sapa.
The characteristic in Sapa
Every week, Sapa Market holds once on Saturday night. It belongs to Dao people. Coming to Sapa, tourists can see girls who wear red aprons and gorgeous embroidered pattern clothes with silver rings, buttons, coin sticks to shoulders on streets or the yard’s church to meet lovers.
It is more attractive that the shouting follows steps, the sounds comes from cute silver rattles on girls head.
The subjects of girls are Dao boys in style of Cham shirt, the same apron, wrist watch and cassette radio.

 

The boys gather around 'the chosen girl'

At some corners, some boys gather around one girl, they put their radios near girls to record confession songs in ethnic language.
The picture of Dao girls who are shy, bow down or use hands to cover their faces but singing the melody tremulously makes travelers feel nervous.
When the nightfall comes, behind the bushes and up the high mount, the reed sounds are polysyllabic at night. One more thing is Dao’s custom does not prevent people who are married from looking for lovers in the fair. The girls who are 13 or 14 years old follow their sisters to acquaint.
The boys who are around the girl turn on the radio or blarney and give them souvenirs. The girl who does not agree will leave the gift to run and be held back. The action is called “kéo” – an expression of dratted confession. Until “Chấm” (select) a guy, she will slip his hands a contraction gift and the crowded shout and leave. The girl comes back to her friends. After awhile, it is quiet as normal, 2-3 girls will take the girl to “gửi gắm” (award) the boy who she choose. Then, the lovers come to a place without nobody knows.