Cai Rang floating market is about 6km from the center of Can Tho city. After hundreds of years of formation and development, it has shaped the culture of trading in the river area. Cai Rang floating market is unique with the form of spontaneous buying and selling of agricultural products and goods on the river. This is a tourist destination that attracts a large number of visitors when visiting and shopping in Can Tho.
Rough Guide, a UK-based magazine, was particularly impressed by the unique feature of Cai Rang Floating Market: the “tropical-hued” selling boats. Here, many types of tropical fruits from the Mekong Delta are sold. People often hang their boats’ products on bamboo poles at the stern so that buyers can easily find the boat they want. The market opens at 5am and ends at noon.
On July 8, Cai Rang District Party Committee, Can Tho City held a preliminary review of 3 years of implementing the project "Preservation and Development of Cai Rang Floating Market". Accordingly, over 3 years, tourism products and services in the Floating Market area have developed, diversified and abundant to meet the sightseeing needs of domestic and foreign tourists. Up to now, Cai Rang has built and installed 36 propaganda panels, compiled and printed 13,600 leaflets, equipped 2 garbage collection boats, arranged 11/50 diversion buoys to ensure waterway traffic safety; supported the relocation of 38 floating rafts to safe anchorages... In addition, food and entertainment services for tourists have also received much attention and investment. 3 households have invested in 3 floating restaurants on the river, organized floating stalls to sell souvenirs, local specialties...
More information:
- A pole used to advertise goods at Cai Rang floating market
At Cai Rang floating market, sellers often use poles to advertise their products. Normally, each boat specializes in selling one type of product, so the seller will hang the product on a pole on the boat to let the buyer know which boat sells which product.
- "4 hangings", a unique feature of Cai Rang floating market
"Hang whatever you want to sell": Hang the boats and ships for sale on a bamboo tree about 3 - 5m long, called a beo tree.
"Hanging but not selling": This is the unique thing that attracts tourists to Cai Rang Floating Market, because when they come here, they can observe and learn about the daily life of people living on boats. The things that people hang are usually household items so they will not be sold.
"Not hanging but selling": These boats often sell snacks and drinks such as: Cakes, pho, hu tieu, coffee,... Many tourists love the feeling of sitting on a boat and enjoying the typical dishes, enjoying the feeling of floating, breathing the peaceful air on the river.
"Hang this but sell something else" (also known as "beo la ban ghe"): These are boats that do not hang agricultural products or fruits, but hang a roofing sheet or a coconut leaf. With this type of boat, people can understand that the boat or canoe is what they want to sell.
