(Baonghean.vn) - The land and sky of Ky Son are shrouded in a hazy mist, the cold seeping into the skin. This is also the time when the locals prepare for the border markets at the end of the year.
The journey from Muong Xen town (Ky Son district) to Dinh Dam border market (Noong Het district, Xieng Khouang province, Lao People's Democratic Republic) is about 20km. This is a market that embodies the friendship between Vietnam and Laos, a place for people of both countries to exchange economic and socio-cultural information. The road winds and meanders, the mountains and forests are still asleep, and the traffic flows in an orderly manner, with few people showing signs of haste.
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| On the day of the border market, a large number of people from Ky Son and tourists from near and far cross the Nam Can International Border Gate to go to the market. |
Descending the Tien Tieu slope, as dawn broke, we truly felt the bustling, joyful atmosphere of the Ky Son people on this festive market day. Just a few hundred meters away, beyond the border crossing, on the other side of the Nam Can bridge, was the neighboring country; the Dinh Dam border market was located right there.
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| With three market days per month, the border market is always bustling with people and vehicles. |
The border market now has three sessions per month (on the 10th, 20th, and 30th of each month) instead of the previous two sessions (on the 15th and 30th of each month). This clearly reflects the growing need for trade and exchange of goods between the two sides.
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| The border market is famous for its local specialties from the highlands, so the food stalls are always crowded with customers. |
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| Grilled black chicken and black pork served with sticky rice is always a favorite among diners. |
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| Vietnamese people who go to border markets cannot miss the flavorful dishes of the mountains and forests. |
The appeal of the border market lies primarily in its local specialties. The food stalls are always bustling and lively, with plumes of blue smoke rising from giant stoves and the fragrant aroma of grilled meat lingering in the air. Specialties from the highland ethnic minorities, such as grilled black chicken and black pork served with fragrant sticky rice, are truly irresistible.
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| One item that many people look for when going to the border market is black chicken; whatever quantity is available sells out quickly. |
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| The meat stalls are always bustling with buyers and sellers. |
In transactions, both Lao and Vietnamese currency can be used for payment. Lao people often choose to buy warm clothes, seafood, and processed food items. Vietnamese people, on the other hand, can't resist specialty items like Lao sticky rice, black chicken, black pork, and Mong cabbage; it seems everyone who comes to the market tries to buy at least one of these things.
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| Bundles of Hmong cabbage are also in high demand. |
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| Lao sticky rice, a type of sticky, fragrant, and firm-grained rice, is a popular choice among Vietnamese people for making steamed sticky rice dishes and cakes during holidays and festivals. |
Cong Kien - Ho Phuong
