Farmers and their animals gather at Can Cau cattle market in northern Lao Cai Province

Saturday mornings at the Can Cau cattle market are a bustle of activity as tens of Mong ethic minority members congregate to buy and sell all sizes of buffaloes, horses and cows.

The market is situated in the mountainous district of Simaicai, in northern Lao Cai Province, 600 km from Hanoi.

The cattle dealers are mainly from local districts around Lao Cai, but lately more traders have been visiting from neighboring China.

“Several years ago we sold cattle to Vietnamese farmers. But since cattle prices are rising in China, we’ve come back to buy cattle from them,” says a Chinese dealer at the market.

Local authorities have taken steps over the past two years to make the roadside cattle market more organized and in addition, have begun charging dealers a fee of VDN10,000 (US$0.55) per animal before entering the marketplace.

The best way to reach Can Cau is to take a train from Hanoi to Lao Cai Town and hire a motorbike or car the next morning to make the 60 km journey to the market.

Reported by Luu Quang Pho