In Vietnam, an annual 'love market' reunites old partners for a day
Once a year, a market in Vietnam's Khau Vai lets former partners meet, talk and revisit old memories without restarting their relationship.
Communities across the world observe different traditions around love, but one custom in Vietnam may come as a surprise. It centres on meeting an ex-partner. In Khau Vai in Vietnam, a "love market" is held that is unlike ordinary markets. It brings together emotion, nostalgia and local culture. Held only once a year, it is a gathering where people can meet their former partners and talk to them.
This unusual market is held in the Ha Giang area of northern Vietnam, where people from different communities come together. What makes the place special is that former lovers meet each other here, talk to one another, and speak their minds, reviving fond memories of their relationship. In Vietnam, this meeting is regarded as a social and cultural tradition.
The roots of the Khau Vai love market are said to lie in an unfinished love story between two lovers from different communities. The two loved each other deeply, but family and social reasons meant they could not marry. It is said that before parting, they decided to meet once every year at Khau Vai. This story is still considered central to the cultural roots of the event today.
The love market is not attended only by former partners. Married people looking for a life partner also come here, and many families take part as well. The event is thus not limited to old relationships alone; it has also become an important place for meeting people from the past and for the start of new relationships.
According to the information available, the event is held between April and May. A meeting here does not mean restarting a relationship. Its purpose is to set aside old, painful memories, recall good memories afresh, and honour past relationships.
