Cai Rang Floating Market, Vietnam's Intangible Cultural Heritage

Cai Rang Floating Market Culture was officially recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage in June 2016. Many international magazines have chosen this site as one of the most beautiful floating markets in Asia and the world as well.

For instance, the UK’s Rough Guide selected Cai Rang Floating Market as one of the ten most impressive markets in the world, characterized by colorful boats selling tropical agricutural products.

Leader of Cultural Heritage Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism awarded a certificate recognizing Cai Rang Floating Market as a national intangible cultural heritage. Photo: Duy Khoi

The online youramazingplaces also listed the largest wholesale floating market in the Mekong Delta as one of the six most beautiful floating markets in Asia.

The market, which has thrived for over a century, converges a variety of agricultural goods from Southwestern region. It also provides essential household appliances.

Activities at the festival revived the livelihood of Cai Rang Floating Market's tradespeople. Photo: AI LAM

Cai Rang Floating Market usually opens around 4 or 5 am and lasts until 9 am when the sun rises. It is often filled with over 250 boats.

To experience the whole atmosphere of the market, visitors should take a tourist boat.

Vendors at the market have a special way to introduce their goods. Every boat has a vertical bamboo pole on the front or rear laden with available products ready to sell (it is called cây bẹo in Vietnamese).

Visitors enjoyed the feeling on boat on Cai Rang Floating Market. photo: DUY KHOI

Exceptionally, the boats serving breakfast or coffee don’t have bamboo poles. And when the owners want to sell their boats, they hang cononut leaves.

In addition, tourists will be surprised at a strange form of wholesale in which the sellers sell all products without counting or weighing. The scene of throwing and catching goods like coconut, watermelon between traders is also impressive.

These unique activities have helped Cai Rang Floating Market in particular and other Mekong Delta floating markets in general attract visitors, especially international travelers.

The floating market cultural space combines many forms of intangible cultural heritage, social customs, beliefs, folklore knowledge, folk arts performance etc. These heritages have been preserved and handed down from generation to generation..

After Cai Rang Floating Market Culture had been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage, Can Tho City authorities approved a project to preserve and develop the market in 2016-2020 period with a vision towards 2030.

To honor and advertise this heritage, Cai Rang District People’s Committee annually holds Cai Rang Floating Market Culture and Tourism Festival.

The second festival 2017 was held in 3 days (from July 7 to July 9) with more activities compared to the first one. The quality was also improved.

The event featured a lot of cutural activities, such as parade of tourism boats, composite boat race, traditional food fair, special fruits, fruit arrangement contest, performances of Southern cakes, Don Ca Tai Tu (Southern traditional amateur music), making of record-sized pancake (banh xeo).

The large-scale festival drew about 40,000 visitors, an increase of 100% year-on-year.

It was a chance to popularise the image of Cai Rang Floating Market, survey travelers' demands and tourism market which is a basis for building suitable tourism products and trademark of Cai Rang District.

Ai Lam (Translated by Phuc Nguyen)