HaGiang (VNA) - The Khau Vai Love Marketfestival took place in Khau Vai commune, Meo Vac district of the northernmountainous province of Ha Giang on May 11, spotlighting the unique cultures ofethnic groups in the locality.

Featuring various activities, the two-day festival aims to preserve thecultural values of the local ethnic groups while attracting visitors andstimulating socio-economic development in the northernmost area of Vietnam.

Nguyen Cao Cuong, Chairman of the Meo Vac district’s People’sCommittee said the festival offers visitors a chance to join local residents’daily life, and enjoy traditional foods of local ethnic minority groups and culturaland art activities held in the framework of the event as well.

The Khau Vai Love Market is a popular attraction in Ha Giang, even though it isheld only once a year at a distance of nearly 200km from the city.

On the 27th day of the third lunar month, localethnic women and men put on their best traditional costumes and go to themarket where they are free to meet their former lovers in public.

Husbands and wives arrive at the market togetherand start looking for their past partners among the crowd. Spouses do not getangry or jealous because the meeting at the market is supposed to be atemporary moment and does not affect their daily lives or relationship.

According to folklore, a man and a woman weredeeply in love but were forbidden to be together because they were fromdifferent ethnic groups. A violent conflict later took place between the twotribes, resulting in bloodshed for both. To stop the fierce fight, the coupledecided to part ways with broken hearts. They, however, promised to meet onceevery year in the market in Khau Vai commune on the 27th of the third lunarmonth.

This year’s event is organised on the occasionof the 6th edition of the NationalFestival of Traditional Then singing, and the time to publicise the Plan of Dong Van KarstPlateau national tourism site, so this is a good time for Ha Giang to attractdomestic and international holiday-makers.

The festival hasbecome a special cultural tourism product of Ha Giang province.

Visitors to Ha Giang can explore popular tourism destinationslike Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark, Lung Cu Flag Pole, Ma Pi Leng Peakand Dong Van Town Old Quarter.-VNA