WUNRN
VIETNAM - Schoolgirls in colorful
native dress in Bac Ha Vietnam.
Photographer: QT Luong
Bac
Ha has one of the most interesting ethnic markets in Vietnam and possibly
everywhere in South East Asia: " Sunday is market day in Bac Ha, which
is the occasion for the various local ethnies to gather in huge crowds to
exchange the last news, gossip, shop, and eat a copious lunch. It was visibly
a festive event. I was surrounded in a sea of color, and had the feeling to
be on a movie set. Everyone seemed excited. A few men rode small horses.
Those fortunate enough to be able to pay 10000 dongs (75 cents) arrived at
the back of a motorcycle, sharing the ride with two other passengers. Most
came on foot, from villages as far as 20 kilometers away. Even the old
hunched lady was not going to miss the weekly party. Although there were
several ethnies at the market, the Flower Hmong women stood apart with their
vibrant dress. They wear a number of skirts and underskirts all made with
very colorful fabric and some batiks. Their tops are embroided, often with
flower motifs, and their heads are covered with elaborately shaped and
balanced scarfs. In the rapid global uniformization of today's world, it was
refreshing to see this untouched beauty in humanity..." |
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