Market Day in Sapa

Back in town Saturday was market day. The market was busy on other days but Saturday grew large crowds from the surrounding areas. The steps of the main market.

Much of the activity centered at the park area up the hill near the church.

Vendors set up their wares all over the paved area.

A spice shop in the main section.

The vendors under the blue tarps were there every day.
Statue in the park above the vending area.
The street in front of the church.
After being chased by vendors all over town I retreated to a table area above the church which wasn't being used because of the mist. A group followed me of course. Here they are clustering around.
Some of what they were showing me. I bought the piece on the right.

After awhile i fled further afield into a closed cafe to no avail. They came and stood outside the window. (Did I mention they are aggressive?)

Sa Pa District is located in Lao Cai Province, north-west Vietnam, and 250 miles north-west of Hanoi, close to the border with China. The Hoang Lien Son range of mountains dominates the district, which is at the eastern extremity of the Himalayas. This range includes Vietnam's highest mountain, Fan Si Pan, at a height of 3142m above sea level. The town of Sa Pa lies at an altitude of about 1600 m. The climate is moderate and rainy in summer (May—August), and foggy and cold with occasional snowfalls in winter.


View on the mountains from downtown SapaSa Pa is a quiet mountain town and home to a great diversity of ethnic minority peoples. The total population of 36,000 consists mostly of minority groups. Besides the Kinh (Viet) people (15%) there are mainly 5 ethnic groups in Sapa: Hmong 52%, Dao 25%, Tay 5%, Giay 2% and a small number of Xa Pho. Approximately 7,000 live in Sapa, the other 36,000 being scattered in small communes throughout the district.


Terraced fields in Sa PaMost of the ethnic minority people work their land on sloping terraces since the vast majority of the land is mountainous. Their staple foods are rice and corn. Rice, by its very nature of being a labour intensive crop, makes the daily fight for survival paramount. The unique climate in Sapa has a major influence on the ethnic minorities who live in the area. With sub-tropical summers, temperate winters and 160 days of mist annually, the influence on agricultural yields and health related issues are significant.

The minority people can only yield one crop of rice annually, which leads to food shortfalls in many communes at specific times. This shortage of food contributes to malnutrition and other related health problems. The climatic conditions also contribute to many health issues including coughs, colds, and bronchial and respiratory problems that are commonplace throughout the community.

The geographical location of the area makes it a truly unique place for many interesting plants and animals, allowing it to support many inhabitants. Many very rare or even endemic species have been recorded in the region.