This is a famous love market in Meo Vac District in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang. The local authorities have
recently recognized Khau Vai Love Market as a historical cultural site.

Khau Vai commune is home to ethnic minority groups of Giay,
Nung and Muong. The love market festival is held on lunar March 26th and 27th
with the participation of a large number of locals. The festival features cooking
and drink culture, song performances and folk games. Ethnic costumes, jewelry,
ethnic musical instruments, culture and art publications are on display at the
market, reflecting activities of the local people.

It can be said that the beauty and power of love is the
basic factor to maintain the existence of the Khau Vai love market for such a
long time. In the market area, there are two temples called Ong and Ba (Mr and
Mrs) temples. The story concerning these temples tells that, once upon a time,
there was a boy and a girl born from two different places of the Dong Van
Plateau. Since forbidden to get married by the two families, they, side by
side, decided to leave home to come and settle down together in Khau Vai, a
prosperous land with green plants. In honor of their merits in cultivating the
wild land into a rich land, the local people built the two temples to worship
them.

Another local myth tells the story of a young couple from
different tribes who fell in love with each other. The girls belonged to the
Giay group and the boy to the Nung group. The girl was so beautiful that her
tribe did not want to let her get married with any man from another tribe.
Consequently, violent conflict arose between the two tribes. To stop the blood
shedding, the two lovers sorrowfully decided to part. However, they planned to
meet once a year on that day, lunar March 27th. The place where they used to
meet is Khau Vai, which thereafter became a meeting place for all those in
love.

Since then, on every lunar March 27th, Khau Vai has
attracted couples of different ages, including those who seek partners for the
first time. Yet, most of them are those who love each other very much but
cannot marry because of different reasons. On the day when the market session
takes place, it is likely that both the wife and her husband together go to the
market, but they look for their own partners to share emotions. If one of them
has to stay at home, he or she is not jealous because the dating at the
marketplace is only a temporary feeling exchange, which has no negative influences
on real life.

The first day of the market session is for the ceremony to
turn into the new calendar period. On this day, at a selected hour, people take
a bath and put on their best clothes in anticipation of the New Year. They
bring incense, lamps, flowers and fruits to a pagoda where they join the great
calendar-receiving ceremony. Then, the official ceremony is carried out inside
the sanctuary. After that, every participant prays to the Buddha and chant
prayers for a happy new year. Young persons walk out to the pagoda yard and
join in fun activities till late at night.

The second day is for the ceremony to offer boiled rice and
heap up a sandy mountain. Every Khmer family cooks rice and offers it to
Buddhist monks at the pagoda in early morning and at noon. In the afternoon,
people start to heap up a sandy mountain for seeking happiness and luck. They
make small mountains in eight directions and one in the middle reflects the
universe. This custom originates from an age-old legend. It displays people’s
aspirations for rain.

On the third day of the market, there comes the ceremony to
wash the Buddha’s statue and Buddhist monks. In the afternoon, they burn
incense, offer sacrifices and use scented water to wash the statue in order to
pay tribute and gratitude to the Buddha. This is also to get rid of the old
year’s misfortunes and wish all the best for the New Year. After that, people
return to their house and wash the Buddha’s statue at home. They offer dishes,
confectionery and fruits to ask for happiness for their parents and
grandparents and being forgiven for their mistakes made in the previous year.

Mountain girls at the Khau Vai Love Market 2011 (April 28-29):

Hoang Giang