(VOVworld) - Most people can’t stand the thought of their partners even talking to their exes, let alone socializing with them. But things are different in one small community of Vietnam. A yearly ‘love market’ of sorts is held in the hillside village in Khau Vai, 500km north of Hanoi, near the border with China. It takes place each year, on the 26^th and the 27^th of the third month of the lunar calendar. During these two days, hundreds of former lovers from various hill tribes like Nung, Tay, San Chi, Lo Lo, Dzao, Giay, and Mong are reunited. They trek in from nearby districts to spend two days with the ones they could not spend their lives with.

This concept might sound unusual, and there might be every possibility of a cat-fight breaking out if this unique love festival were held anywhere else in the world. But the people of Khau Vai have a strong reason for celebrating their love market. It has been a part of their tradition for centuries, originating from a local legend. The story is rather sad – an ethnic Giay girl from Ha Giang fell in love with a Nung boy from Cao Bang, but she was so beautiful that her tribe did not want her to marry a man from another community. What followed was a bloody war between the two tribes. As the lovers witnessed the tragedy that surrounded their lives, they decided to part ways in the interest of peace. But their love did not die. A secret pact was made between the lovers to meet each other once a year in Khau Vai– on the 27^th day of the third Lunar month. The tradition is still being carried on today. On the designated days of the festival, local artists decked out in colorful clothes reenact this tale of forbidden love.

Beautiful moments in Triangle flower field in Lung Pu commune

Riding a horse at the Khau Vai love market 

Traditional pounding rice cake contest of Nung ethnic people

Traditional leaf hat making contest of Giay ethnic people

Khen dance of Mong boys and girls

Incense offering ceremony at Ong and Ba temples

Cow fighting

Re- creation of the Khau Vai love legend

Lovers reunited talk and drink together