Published:  14:59 Wednesday - April 04, 2012

Khau Vai (Ha Giang) love market festival originated from a moved story 100 years ago about a loving couple who cannot get married to each other.

Khau vai Love Market

Ha Giang will organize a Tourism Week of Khau Vai Love Market Festival 2012 within 4 days, from April 14 to 17 (lunar March 24- 27).

Khau Vai Love Market is a unique festival in Dong Van Plateau. It has become a well known and attractive fair in Vietnam, which takes place only one time in a year on lunar March 27 in Khau Vai village, said Mr. Nguyen Chi Cuong, Chairman of Meo Vac people's committee (Ha Giang).

Within the framework of the Tourism Week of Khau Vai Love market Festival 2012, local and international visitors may come with opportunity to enjoy a lot of special cultural programs, including Rain Festival of Lo Lo ethnic people, held in the tourism village Sang Pa A, Meo Vac town, Meo Vac district.

This festival takes place in lunar March and passes by tradition from generation to another, not just features a religious event but also makes chance for people to meet, discuss their business and opportunity for boys and girls to date.

Other activities in the festival include: Opening Ceremony of the Tourism Week, Khau Vai Love Market, H'Mong pan-pipe Cultural Exchange, nightingale fighting contest, cow fighting contest of H'mong people...taking place right in the central stadium in Meo vac district.

Cow Fighting Contest

Goats fighting contest – a unique playing field on Dong Van Plateau will also be organized in the framework of the Tourism Week of Khau Vai Love Market 2012. Previously, ethnic minority people in Ha Giang used to grow goats for the purpose of increasing production, serving the daily living conditions for the people. However, at present, the mountainous goats are nurtured and cared thoroughly to become “mountainous combatant”. This is a community cultural entertainment in the spring, when the farmers can exchange experiences and skills in growing and breeding goats.

Goat fighting contest

In this festival, the tourists will enjoy the folk songs of Tay, Day, Nung ethnic boys and girls, the love flute sound of Dao ethnic people, the passionate khèn (pan-pipe) sound of H'mong people, admire the beauty of highland girls at moon age commensurate with colorful gowned brocades.

In addition, the tourists taking part in the festival can enjoy the art program “Khau vai Legend” performed by actors and actresses of the Green Highland artistic team, get ecstasy with maize wine bowls of Highland area; enjoy “thang co” (mixture of all parts of horse meat) – a folk dish typical of H'mong people.

Coming to the Khau Vai Love Market Festival, the guests cannot miss the beauty of Dong van rocky highland with the natural, geological, and cultural heritage values as well as the breathtaking and imposing space here.