Mong Cai is a border city in northern Vietnam. Visitors are inspired by its beautiful natural landscape, Tra Co beach, famous sites such as cape Sa Vy, the Tra Co communal house and the Ka Long bridge, and by the local seafood. They are particularly interested in shopping at the Mong Cai Trading Center, one of Vietnam’s busiest border markets.
At the first light of day, the car park at the Mong CaiTrading Center, informally known as Mong Cai market, is already crowded with trucks loading and unloading goods. The trading center has a modern architecture and is one of the largest border markets in northern Vietnam.
The traders include both Vietnamese and Chinese from the nearby Chinese town of Dongxing. Mong Cai market is a paradise for shoppers because the products are diverse, most of them from China. They range from home appliances to ready-to-wear clothing and accessories.
For men, electronics are the most sought after products here. Hang, who owns the 533 shop on the 2nd floor of the building, says: ” The products sold here are much cheaper than elsewhere because they come directly from China. Our customers are mostly tourists ” Previously, the Mong Cai Trading Center was a wholesale market, but since it was rebuilt it has also served retail customers, most of whom are tourists.In this market, 90% of the shop owners are Chinese and each shop has 2 traders, one Vietnamese and one Chinese. Some vendors are bilingual. Customers can pay in Vietnamese dong or Chinese yuan. Hoang Lam, who is a tourist, says: “The merchants are friendly, even to shoppers who don’t buy anything. As a wholesale market, they do not charge exorbitant prices” .
On the 3 rd floor are shops selling herbal medicines. The herbalists are both Vietnamese and Chinese. After listening closely to the explanations of the apothecary Hoang Van An, we buy 10 small bottles of palm oil as gifts for our grandparents. This product, according to An, reduces pain and rheumatism. 80-year-old An has been selling medicinal herbs in Mong Cai market for a long time. “I’ve worked here for 24 years and I have seen many changes. It has grown considerably. Formerly, it was a small market. Now it has 5 storeys. On the ground floor, we sell machines.
The first floor is reserved for fashions and the second for all kinds of common goods. This market is special because it is open from 7am to noon or 1 PM at the latest. It is a wholesales market. It is especially lively in the early morning when the retailers arrive.
Around noon, the Chinese wholesalers return to their country”. Our conversation with Mr. An ends as traders begin to close their stalls. One morning at Mong Cai is not enough to examine all the temptations offered by the place. We’ll have to come back! Le Phuong