A highland market usually begins with very simple things. People bring agricultural products to sell. Others bring cakes, sticky rice, and rice. People wear the most beautiful traditional costumes of their ethnic group. Artisans bring their flutes, dances, and weaving skills. Traditional folk games are recreated amidst laughter and cheers.

 

The market is a gathering place for characteristic products of the ethnic minority communities.

 

But at the Muong Lum regional market in Chieng Hac commune, Son La province, those familiar things are suggesting a bigger story.

The cuisine features a diverse range of dishes, each with its own unique flavor from the mountains and forests.

Resolution 80-NQ/TW identifies culture as the spiritual foundation, endogenous resource, and driving force for development; it also emphasizes that the people are the creators and beneficiaries of culture.

Ultimately, a major resolution must begin with real life. And sometimes, the best way to bring a resolution closer to the people is to start with what they already have.

Muong Lum was once called a "forgotten land" due to its fragmented terrain and difficult transportation. But today, amidst the valleys, forests, and cultural spaces of the Thai and Hmong communities, this land is showing many values ​​that could become a major attraction.

The cultural products of the Thai ethnic group have been preserved and passed down through many generations.

Right at the market, products from the villages were brought in and showcased. Mr. Ha Van Cuong, from Luong village, Chieng Hac commune, excitedly shared that his villagers brought many agricultural products to the market, such as pumpkins, gourds, sticky rice, banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), and even products like Piêu scarves, traditional blouses, and brocade bags...

"At the previous market, we brought these products out to promote them, and at this market, customers came to buy them, and the locals sold a lot," said Mr. Cuong.

For the people, these are, first and foremost, very familiar things. But when they step out of the kitchen, out of the fields, out of the confines of a village, these products begin to acquire a new value.

Traditional crafts and aspects of the lives of ethnic minority communities are vividly recreated.

Sticky rice grains, banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cake), sticky rice balls, Piêu scarves, Com shirts, or brocade bags are not just commodities. They all carry stories about the land, the craft, the customs, and the hands of the people who made them.

In one corner of the market, artisan Quang Van Quyet from Luong village proudly introduces familiar items used by the Thai people, showcasing the traditions of his homeland: "The mortar for pounding rice, the carrying poles for hauling rice and corn in the fields... these are all items closely associated with the daily lives of our people here. People know I make rattan chairs and weave baskets, so they come to my house to buy them, which provides me with extra income each month."

Mr. Quyet and his passion for keeping traditional crafts alive.

Mr. Quyet is 73 years old this year. He learned the craft of weaving from his father. Bamboo, rattan, and wicker items, once integral to the lives of the Thai people, now serve both his family and as marketable goods. But his concern is not just about income.

"I also want to pass on the traditional Thai weaving craft to my children and grandchildren... My children and grandchildren are now studying or working in companies, so they can't learn it. If our generation doesn't pass on the craft to our children and grandchildren, the Thai weaving craft will fade away," Mr. Quyet expressed.

The cultural space of the Thai ethnic group at Muong Lum market, Chieng Hac commune, Son La province.

This also raises a question regarding the development of cultural resources: If future generations no longer know how to do it, or no longer want to do it, then a cultural value, no matter how precious, can disappear. Therefore, reviving culture is not just about bringing it to the stage. More importantly, it's about making people see that what they have is valuable, worth preserving, and can create value for their own lives.

At Chieng Hac market, culture is not confined to glass cases. The Hmong people pound sticky rice cakes. Children and tourists try the tu lu game. The Thai people sing folk songs, play drums and gongs, and engage in cultural exchange. Tourists try on traditional clothing, enjoy the food, and learn about cake making, indigo dyeing, and weaving.

The unique identity of the Hmong people is clearly evident in the traditional rice cake pounding competition.

Therefore, Ms. Bui Thi Thanh, a tourist from Kim Boi commune, Phu Tho province, firmly stated that if there is another market day, she will come again to enjoy the festivities with the local people: "I hope to continue experiencing the traditional crafts of making sticky rice cakes and blacksmithing of the Mong people, and the indigo dyeing and weaving of the Thai people. If the market charges an entrance fee for these experiences, I am willing to pay."

When tourists are willing to pay to experience a craft, a dish, or a cultural space, culture is no longer just something to see. It begins to become an experiential product.

The Hmong people play the tu lu game.

In Chieng Hac, another "asset" is also being recognized: the sticky rice variety Mac Duoi. Approximately 60 hectares of rice fields are currently mainly planted with this variety, which has been recognized as an OCOP product of the province. The price of paddy rice is 20,000 VND per kilogram and milled rice is 40,000 VND per kilogram.

Ms. Hoang Thi Hien, from Luong village, shared her secret to increasing the villagers' income: "If we only sold products within the village, the income wouldn't be as high. But we packaged the products, created designs and packaging, linked them to tourism, and approached large restaurants... Gradually, tourists from near and far have been able to enjoy the rare, fragrant, chewy taste of the Muong Lum region and have placed orders."

The people of Chiềng Hặc are building a brand for their Mắc Đươi rice product.

But the story of rice can go far beyond just an OCOP product. Because behind a kilogram of rice lies the profession of wet rice cultivation, the production practices of the Thai people, and the days of hard work under the sun and rain in the fields. Tourists can buy rice. But they can also go to the fields, learn about rice cultivation, experience the harvest season, and enjoy dishes made from Mac Duoi sticky rice.

At that time, the product was sold not only for the price of the rice grain, but also for the cultural story behind it. "From the rice grain, from the traditional sticky rice cultivation of Mac Duoi, we hope that the original culture of our people will be spread and associated with the village craft, with everyday items... so that our village can develop tourism while we still preserve the traditional sticky rice cultivation," said Ms. Hoang Thi Hien.

The Chiềng Hặc market only lasts for one day. But what is brought to the market are values ​​formed over many generations. The songs, the drums and gongs. The Piêu scarf, the traditional blouse. The weaving and blacksmithing crafts. Sticky rice cakes, bamboo-cooked rice, sticky rice. The Mắc Đươi rice grains and stories about the fields. And above all, the people – the subjects who are preserving, creating, and transmitting these values.

Beyond simply exchanging goods, the Chiềng Hặc highland market is also a place to awaken and promote the cultural values ​​of the local people.

According to Mr. Cao Xuan Dung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Chieng Hac commune, Son La province, the locality is viewing these values ​​within a broader development context, linking landscapes, villages, agricultural products, and traditional crafts with community tourism.

"The villages participating in the markets receive support from the commune in terms of infrastructure, setting up stalls, funding, and models. The commune also guides and directs the people to gradually shift the market model to self-organized markets, so that all residents can participate and have more opportunities to develop the economy and culture in a coordinated manner. The main goal of the commune is for the people in this area to change their mindset and transform their cultural identity into economic value," Mr. Dung emphasized.

The market attracts a large number of locals and tourists who come to experience it.

From identity to products. From products to experiences. And from experiences to livelihoods. But for culture to truly become a resource, a marketplace is not enough; spaces are needed where communities can participate, create, and benefit together.