LAO BAO BORDER MARKET

Tuesday - 20/05/2025 07:53

Lao Bao border market is a unique commercial and cultural activity in the border area between Quang Tri province (Vietnam) and Savanakhet province (Laos). In recent times, Lao Bao mountain town (Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province) has become more bustling with a newly formed tourism product: the border market with Vietnamese-Lao culture.

Lao Bao border market (Photo: Lan homi)
Lao Bao border market is a cultural and trade activity organized for the first time by the People's Committee of Lao Bao town, Huong Hoa district at Lao Bao Trade Center to introduce and promote cultural identity, potentials and strengths in tourism and border trade economy; promote investment attraction for local socio-economic development. This is also an opportunity for folk artists, culture and art lovers inside and outside Lao Bao area, Huong Hoa district and some villages in Laos to meet, exchange and promote the unique traditional cultural values of the people on both sides of the border, creating a diverse and rich space for tourists and local people, contributing to preserving the unique beauty and characteristics of the highland people, and vividly demonstrating the long-standing solidarity between the people of the two brotherly countries of Vietnam and Laos.
This is the first model of operation in the border area between Quang Tri province (Vietnam) and Savanakhet province (Laos). The scale of the market includes over 50 stalls, displaying and trading agricultural products typical of Van Kieu, Pa Co and Laos, organized periodically starting from 6 am every Saturday. The market includes stalls of traders from localities of Huong Hoa district and villages on the opposite side of Lao Bao international border gate such as Densavan, Phuong... in Se Pon district, Savannakhet province, Laos. The market's items include agricultural and forestry products, brocades, local specialties at reasonable prices. In particular, the market is also a place to gather rich cuisine of the two countries Vietnam and Laos. Visitors to the Lao Bao border market will be able to visit and shop for products made by the local people, typical products of the Van Kieu, Pa Co and Laos such as agricultural and forestry products, clothing, brocade scarves, local specialties such as bamboo-tube rice, grilled meat in bamboo tubes, Lao specialties such as xum, nem, grilled chicken, rice, seno chicken, etc. at reasonable prices, along with OCOP products with the characteristics of mountainous districts such as essential oils, dried bananas, turmeric starch, coffee, etc. In addition, visitors can also access and immerse themselves in the space with intangible cultural values preserved for thousands of years by the Van Kieu, Pa Co and Lao ethnic groups through dances and songs imbued with the breath of the mountains and forests.
The Lao Bao border market in its first sessions has left an impression on visitors inside and outside the province. After 5 pilot sessions, Lao Bao Border Market has left many echoes and good impressions on visitors. According to the People's Committee of Huong Hoa district, since the opening of the market, more than 2,000 people have visited and shopped here. Lao Bao Border Market is a new model, initially effective, creating positive effects; suitable for the scale and advantages of the border trade area; suitable for the tourism development planning of the province. The establishment of Lao Bao Border Market will strengthen the friendship and long-term relationship between Vietnam and Laos, creating conditions for residents on both sides of the border to promote their advantages.
Lao Bao Border Market brings the expectation of the development of a cultural form, an extremely unique, interesting, and unique beauty of the Quang Tri highlands, associated with the image of Lao Bao border town, an attractive destination for all visitors on the journey of experience on the East-West economic corridor.
Some pictures at Lao Bao Border Market (Photo: Lan homi):