A stall selling palm-leaf conical hats, the traditional product of Thanh Thuy village. (Photo: Lan Anh/VOV5)

The rural market has opened to coincide with the Hue Festival since 2002. The busiest area is at the center of Thanh Thuy Chanh village, around Thanh Toan tile-roofed bridge and Thanh Toan farming museum.

Leaving the parking area, you can hear the distinctive sounds of Bai Choi singing, the traditional folk singing of central Vietnam, drifting from the 22 watch-towers along the market.

A stall selling bamboo products. (Photo: Lan Anh/VOV5)

The north and the south of Thanh Toan tile-roofed bridge is the venue of the “Rural market on festive days” program featuring competitions on Bai Choi singing, making cakes, cooking rice noodles, making conical hats, and modeling clay. Joyful traditional junk races are also held on this occasion.

Fishing towers along the two banks of Nhu Y River, water bikes, and bailers on the Thanh Toan tile-roofed bridge contribute to the hustle and bustle of the rural market. Nguyen Dang Loi, a visitor, said: “The rural market during festive days is where you can see the characteristics of the Vietnamese countryside. A visit to Thanh Toan farming museum and rural market leaves me with unforgettable memories of the 2018 Hue festival. The program has been expanded and become more widespread.”

(Photo: Lan Anh/VOV5)

 Food is a key attraction at Thanh Toan rural market. In addition to traditional cakes and sweet soups, there are dishes more typical of Hue City like Vy Da mussel rice, Thuy Thanh baked potato, and Thuy Duong rice noodles cooked with snake-head fish. The dishes are displayed on narrow bamboo beds where customers can sit on bamboo stools to enjoy both the food and the simplicity of the rural market. The sellers wear white, black, or Monk’s brown loose-fitting blouses, loose trousers, and palm-leaf conical hats to suit the image of rural Vietnam.

Roasted ducks on sale at the rural market. (Photo: Lan Anh/VOV5)

 Nguyen Mau Hoa, Deputy Chairman of Thuy Thanh Commune People’s Committee, said: “The rural market festival mainly reproduces the atmosphere of the old days, with folk games, the locals’ daily activities, including the chanty for rice husking, rice grinding, Bai Choi singing, and traditional sports games such as a boat race and duck catching. As the activities have been organized by villagers, locals are seen as the main players. Since 2002, all the activities ranging from trading to demonstrations of rice husking and grinding and other entertainment programs have all been undertaken by the villagers.”

(Photo: Lan Anh/VOV5)

 Thanh Toan rural market meets on the fifteenth day of a lunar month. Thuy Thanh village has developed a plan to ask for recognition of the rural market as a community tourism brand. The local administration has upgraded Thanh Toan tile-roofed bridge, dredged Nhu Y River, and leveled the center of the market area to make it more convenient for visitors. The locals have cleaned village lanes and alleys to attract visitors from near and far.