Muong
Hum is a large and important market in the northwest region
of Lao Cai Province. Very different from Bac Ha and Sapa market
which lye inside the district townships, Muong
Hum Market is set on open flat land at the bottom of
a large and scenic valley by a small river and surrounded
by terraced rice paddies. It is often empty and quiet on the
other weekday, waken up and busy on Sunday. This market is
well-known as one of the most interesting Sunday market in
Lao Cai province and possibly a good alternative trip to Bac
Ha market for visitors thanks to the very large variety of
the ethnic minority peoples to attend and quite easy to be
distinguished through their traditional clothes. The flower
H’mong wear thick embroidered yellow and red skirts
and blouses while the Red H’mong prefer thinner red
embroidered patterns on light batik background; In contrast,
the Black H’mong in dark indigo with just some decorative
motive at the end of the shirt sleeves and round the neck.
Red Zao and Zao Tuyen wear black trousers and shirts with
fine yellow embroidery motifs and pay much attention to the
decoration to their headgears including silver chains and
bells. There are also many Zay, Tay and Ha Nhi people joining
the market who wear less colorful clothes but no less beautiful.
*
The road trip to Muong Hum takes 2.5 hours from Sapa(75km)
and 1.5 hour from Lao Cai although the distant is only 42km
due to tough road. |
