Colourful dong van market

Colourful Dong Van market
Arriving in Dong Van, tourists will have the chance to admire the majestic beauty
of rolling mountains and forests as well as to learn more about the daily life of
Dong Van residents.
Dong Van is the second most Northerly town of Vietnam after Lung Cu, located in
the outrageously beautiful, rugged and mountainous Province of Ha Giang. The
Dong Van market is one of the most popular visiting sites for tourists. The market is
renowned for it’s cultural diversity but extremely difficult to access for the regular
tourist or backpacker due to its steep, long, time consuming hair pin roads.Dong
Van market beckons ethnic groups living roughly within a 25km radius of the town.
This primarily consists of White Hmong, Black Dao and Tay people living high and
secluded up in the mountains.
Each group of people eagerly travel to the market, with pedestrians carrying
baskets of vegetables, fruits, chicken cages, bird cages, buffaloes, cows, and those
on bicycles and motorbikes transporting bundles of goods or small pigs. Others are
dressed in colourful ethnic costumes and come to the market from hamlets far away
just for fun and entertainment. By either walking, biking and busing, Hmong girls
and boys, young and old all gather at the market every Sunday for socializing,
selling and showing off. Hoards of female friends huddled together patrol the aisles
arm in arm decorated like a cross between a christmas tree and Secret Garden
Party’s best in show.

The White Hmong who popularize this area are not like the handmade maidens of
their fellow constituents the Flower Hmong of Bac Ha market, Black Hmong of
Sapa or Red Hmong from Pa Co and Dien Bien Phu. No, they are the tribal version
of Primarni fast fashion, high impact, quick turn around kinda gals who prefer to
spend their spare time sparkling in the sun, not cross stitching and sewing on a
Sunday. Life’s too short for some.
The increasing number of tourists to the market, result in a more bustling
atmosphere. Right from the market gate, sellers and buyers talk with each other in
the languages of each ethnic group.

Like other upland markets, Dong Van market also serves unique food dishes of
ethnic minority people, such as buckwheat cakes and corn wine. A big buckwheat


cake or corn cake is sold at VND10,000 (just below half a US dollar). Home-made
wine is also indispensable at the market. A 20 litre barrel of wine is sold at
VND200,000 (US$8.8). Guests can feel free to try the product before deciding
whether to buy or not.
Part 2: Some question
1. Could you tell me some ethnic groups live in Dong Van ?
A : white Hmong, Tay , Nung
B :White Hmong, Black Dao and Tay , Nung, Hoa, Kinh.
C : Kinh, Tay, Black Dao, Ta oi
2. Dong Van market beckons ethnic groups living roughly within a ………..km
radius of the town
A : 15
B : 10
C : 25
3 : What is the specialty of Dong Van market ?
A: Thang Co, Corn wine , Corn Cake
B. pork, thang co, grape wine
C : Thang co , noodles, grape wine
4. Dong Van Market is located at the foot of ………..mountain
A : Don Hai
B : Don Cao
C: Don Lap