Buzz
Flowing along the Hau River, amidst the morning light, Cai Rang floating market unfolds with the sounds and vibrant colors of bustling boats, filled with abundant produce, bustling and lively, stirring up an entire corner of the sky...
Cai Rang Floating Market – A Distinctive Travel Spot in the Southern Mekong Delta
No one knows exactly when Cai Rang floating market came into existence. It might have originated from the small boats traversing the canals of the islands, carrying abundant produce, then congregating on the Hau River, anchoring closely together to share fire for smoking tobacco, or on windy nights, sharing rice, pumpkins, and bunches of onions for a meal...
To experience the bustling river market, visitors must embark on the dreamy morning journey. The lush and colorful agricultural products and the exotic sights leave distant travelers unable to resist the simple beauty of nature.
When the poles on the boat prows are raised with various items displayed for sale, it signals the start of a busy trading day. Hundreds of large and small boats dock closely together in a long line, with sellers and buyers bustling and floating on the water.
A dreamy morning begins with the calls and cheers of the ladies on their charming leaf boats. The aroma of noodle soups, coffee... spreads farther than the market calls.
It's from this floating market that boats from distant provinces bring goods, functioning like a wholesale market. Then, they navigate through countless rivers and canals for long-distance trading journeys.
Since ancient times, Cai Rang floating market, like many other Mekong Delta markets, trades everything from necessities to food, from needles to agricultural products, fabrics, fertilizers...
Nowadays, trading mostly happens through mobile vendors reaching riverside households, while the floating market focuses on wholesale trading of fresh agricultural products destined for Vinh Long, An Giang, Ca Mau, and beyond.
For those from afar, going to the river market is not just for sightseeing, but also to experience the tranquil countryside and, above all, the serene atmosphere of a foreign rural area.
One can't help but admire the variety of colors these boats bring, from the elegant red of ripe papayas, the purple of beets and water chestnuts, the golden hue of durians and mangoes, to the pastel shades of the young ladies' traditional attire selling their wares.
Walking through the floating market, one feels like stepping into orchards filled with fruits of the Mekong Delta, catching sight of water coconut groves and vegetable patches along the riverbanks.
For the river folk, their boat, measuring just two meters wide and five to seven meters long, is their home. Despite its small and cramped size, sellers always greet guests with openness and a smile.
The hustle and bustle of the floating market only lasts until midday. Then, the river flows calmly, tinged with the purple hue of water lilies, evoking the melancholy of the approaching twilight.
During such dusky evenings, family life becomes vibrant with the melodious sounds of mothers stirring rice, the steady puffing of fathers' cigarettes... and the playful chatter of children spelling out their words. Such is life on the river!
While Cai Rang floating market may lack the vibrancy of Thailand's Damnoen Saduak floating market, the scene on the riverbank and under the boats remains a simple yet picturesque depiction of life in the Southern region.
Source: Doannhansaigon.vn
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourApril 5, 2016
