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. |
