The 'neatest' market in Vietnam

No jostling, the stalls are straight and perfectly tidy, making tourists compare Chom Hom market (Vi Thanh, Can Tho) to the "neatest" market in Vietnam.

Vi Thanh Market (Vi Thanh 1 Commune, Can Tho Province - former Hau Giang ) is known by many different names such as Chom Hom Market or rural market. This is a place where all kinds of fresh agricultural products are gathered and sold by local farmers.

After harvesting vegetables and local products, people bring them to the market to sell at dawn. From 2-3am, the sellers start to clean up their goods, and by around 5am, the market becomes bustling. By sunrise, most of the squares in the market are full.

Not only local people, many traders from Bac Lieu (Ca Mau) or neighboring communes and wards of Can Tho also come here to hold the market. Goods are transported by boats, canoes, and sampans, docking right next to the canal next to the market, creating a typical scene of the river delta region of the West.

The name "Chòm Squat" comes from the distinctive sitting posture of the sellers. Instead of displaying their goods on stalls or kiosks, the sellers spread a small tarpaulin on the market floor, filled with vegetables and fruits. They squat or place small chairs among the colorful square tarpaulins of their goods.

Visiting Chom Hom market, visitors can easily find all kinds of specialty fruits of the rich Western region such as Cau Duc pineapple, Hoa Loc mango, green-skinned grapefruit, Nam Roi grapefruit, areca banana, Vinh Long orange...

From above, the market appears with square, neat and clean stalls. Vendors are arranged to sit in separate areas depending on the type of food, from fruits, vegetables, to seafood - creating a neat scene rarely seen in a rural market.

Under the early morning sunlight, Vi Thanh market becomes more brilliant and bustling than ever. That everyday scene is the "golden spot" that attracts tourists and photographers from home and abroad to come and take pictures.

Among thousands of plastic basins full of shrimp and fish, the conical hats of the people appear like charming round dots, embellishing the vivid picture of the Western countryside market.

The vendors only bring enough goods for one session, so the goods are very fresh. The market is bustling from early morning until around 10-11am when the crowd gradually thins out.

For the third time returning to Vietnam, Indian tourist Agarwal Harsh led a group of international friends on a 16-day photography trip. "I have been to many places in the world, but Vietnam always has its own unique charm that is rare to find anywhere else. I came here at 5am to wait for the sunrise. This market is neat, colorful and helps us get many impressive frames," Harsh shared.

Thanks to the intricate river system, fertile alluvium and temperate climate all year round, the West has become a fertile land with abundant aquatic resources. From fish, shrimp, crab, snails to linh fish, snakehead fish, catfish or green-legged shrimp - all are fresh and delicious, imbued with the flavor of the river region.

Under the bright morning sun, the sounds of laughter and bustling trading make the rural market appear like a colorful and vibrant picture.

The West is currently in the flood season, coming here, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy typical dishes such as braised linh fish, sour soup with sesbania flowers, shrimp salad with sesbania flowers or hotpot with fish sauce. For convenience in visiting Chom Hom market, visitors can stay at hotels about 1 km from the market, such as Tru by Hilton Hau Giang City Centre, Hau Giang Hotel (Vi Thanh 1 commune, Can Tho).

The most beautiful 'OCD' market in Vietnam in Can Tho In the middle of the Mekong Delta, Chom Hom market (Vi Thanh, Can Tho) stands out not only for its hustle and bustle, but also for its neatly arranged goods, to the point that tourists call it "the most OCD market in Vietnam".

Source: https://lifestyle.znews.vn/ngoi-cho-ngan-nap-nhat-viet-nam-post1592247.html