Thanh Chuong: Bustling rural market on the last day of the year.

(Baonghean.vn) - Like in other regions, during the New Year's holiday, life in the mountainous district of Thanh Chuong becomes more hectic, especially at the market. The rural market is bustling but not overly noisy. People flock to the market, buying more fresh produce to serve their families during the holiday.

Seafood stalls are quite popular.

The central market of Thanh Chuong Town, located in Block 9, is open every day of the month. After the clearance of the traffic corridor, the advertising signs and chaotic stalls outside the market gate are gone, giving the market a new, more spacious look. However, on this last market day of the year, the market seems unable to accommodate everyone. Besides the usual wide variety of goods, the produce brought by local farmers to sell forms long rows that extend onto the road.

Fruit is selling quite well at the market.

The most popular and sought-after items at the year-end rural market are food, vegetables, and clothing. According to Ms. Lien Chien, a regular fruit seller at the market, consumption at the year-end market increases more than three times compared to normal days. In one morning, she can sell more than 1 ton of oranges and tangerines. Despite high sales, prices remain stable. Oranges from Quy Hop and Tong Doi districts sell for an average of 30,000 VND/kg.

At the rural market on the last day of the year, food items seem fresher and more diverse. From fresh pork, buffalo, and beef to processed foods like sausages and meatballs, there's a wide variety of fish and shrimp, from those caught in rivers, streams, and lakes to those from the sea.

The products produced by farmers are quite diverse, including various kinds of vegetables and root crops.

The most abundant items at the year-end market are agricultural products produced by the local people in the surrounding villages and hamlets, and every stall is crowded with customers. Green vegetables, green beans, cucumbers, onions, garlic, and spices are brought in from Thanh Van, Thanh Vinh, and Dong Van communes. Green tea, bananas, jicama, taro, sweet potatoes, and cassava come from mountainous communes such as Thanh Thinh, Thanh Huong, and Ngoc Lam resettlement commune. Fish and free-range chickens are brought in from farms in Thanh Phong and Thanh Ngoc…

Ms. Nguyen Thi Chau, a resident living near the market, said that she goes to the market every day, but even on holidays like New Year's Day, it's bustling because children who live far away come home to visit their families. A notable feature of rural markets is the stability of prices and the rapid rate of sales because most of the goods are clean and safe. "Consumers are very smart these days, so sellers don't dare sell substandard goods," Ms. Chau shared.

Thanh Chuong hill chickens have established a strong brand and are in high demand during the Lunar New Year.

Besides agricultural products and food items, confectionery and clothing also attract many customers, from designer stores to street vendors and clearance sales, all bustling with buyers and sellers.

The bustling market also shows that the lives of people in the countryside have become increasingly prosperous.

Tran Dinh Ha

(Thanh Chuong Radio Station)