Market – it’s not only a place where trade and exchange of goods is concentrated, but also is the best place for you to explore the culture, cuisine, and lifestyle of people and a region. Located on the Hau River area, near city center, Long Xuyen floating market has become a tourist destination not to be missed when traveling to An Giang. This is the place where visitors can most clearly explore the daily activities of An Giang people and also contains the unique cultural values and beauty of the Mekong Delta river region.
The best time to explore Long Xuyen floating market
Long Xuyen floating market operates from 5am to about 10:30am. However, to explore the busiest market, you should come here between 5am and 8am. The vibrant atmosphere of buying and selling, the bustling sound of people laughing and talking, and the steaming food from selling boats create the attraction of the floating market.
Besides, going to the floating market early in the morning also helps you clearly feel the trading characteristics of people in the river region. Hundred of boats from many areas gather here, bringing a variety of goods, from daily necessities to rice, fruits, agricultural products, etc. Retailers wait to buy goods from big boats and then go to other small markets to sell.
Chatter and laughter and enthusiastic boat owners offering their goods create a true riverside wholesale atmosphere.
How to get to Long Xuyen floating market?
Long Xuyen floating market is only about 2km from the city center. There are many ways to get here, but choosing to take the train from O Moi ferry terminal is the most convenient. You can call a taxi or rent a motorbike to get to the ferry port. There will be many people here inviting you to rent a ferry, prices vary. Therefore, you must find out information and ferry rental prices in advance to avoid being ripped off.
Normally, the ferry rental price for 2 hours will be:
- Group from 01 – 10 guests: 500,000 VND/boat
- Group from 11 – 20 guests: 650,000 VND/boat
- Group from 21 – 30 guests: 800,000 VND/boat
- Group from 31 – 40 guests: 1,200,000 VND/boat
The ferry will run around the market according to your request. If you want to eat or buy something, you just need to tell the ferry driver to stop by. However, you should make reservations in advance, especially on weekends or holidays, to avoid full seats.
Characteristics of Long Xuyen floating market
No one remembers when Long Xuyen floating market was formed, including those who have been closely associated with the floating market all their lives. When road traffic was not yet developed, people were still used to buying and selling by canoe and boat on the river, and Long Xuyen floating market appeared. Today, despite convenient transportation and development, the floating market still exists and maintains its form of living intact. This is one of the unique cultural features of the people of An Giang in particular and the people of the Mekong Delta in general.
Living on the river, the boat is a shelter from the rain and sun, and is the main of transportation for local people. The back half of the boat is used for family activities such as drying clothes or washing dishes. A large boat will have a small boat anchored next to it so that the owner can easily move into the creek or shore.
Many people also raise chickens and pets on the boat
Although not as noisy and crowded as other floating markets in the Mekong Delta, Long Xuyen Floating Market starts the new day equally bustling, with boats and canoes moored tightly, close together in clusters to buy, sell and exchange goods, laughter and loud voices echoing across the river surface create a unique feature of the floating market.
The most special thing about Long Xuyen floating market is that all items are sold at very cheap prices. Buying and selling on the floating market takes place very quickly, in a style as you already known about the price, and now just pay and get your product, little bargaining. It’s the personality of An Giang people is exactly like that.
A typical cultural feature of the floating market is that goods are displayed and sold on a pole that people call “cây bẹo”. This is an exclusive type of goods advertising only available on floating markets. Customers can look at the pole tree hanging in front of the boat to choose the product they want to buy. Each boat will sell a different item, from vegetables, fruits to necessary items.
cây bẹo
However, the form of business on floating markets is not always based on the type of hanging that sells, especially clothes, food, drinks…
Don’t forget to enjoy a “floating breakfast” with local tyle, with delicious rustic dishes such as vermicelli noodles, fish noodles, silkworm cakes or sip a cup of coffee, hot milk… to enjoy the feeling of eating while swaying along the waves, it will surely bring you unforgettable moment.
Some notes when going to Long Xuyen floating market
- Choose comfortable clothes and sports shoes to easily get on and off the ferry. You should also bring a jacket, hat, and carry sunscreen. In addition, you should also put your phone and wallet in a waterproof bag to avoid accidents.
- The last note is that you should go to the floating market very early. Even though the market is said to be open until about 10:30 a.m, by 8 a.m; there are already a lot of boats gone. Going to Long Xuyen floating market after 8am, the atmosphere will be very boring, it’s a waste of money to rent a ferry and there’s nothing for you to explore.
Source: collected by An
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