Đà Lạt market by night

Visitors to Đà Lạt city cannot help going to the market by night, especially Âm Phủ market. It’s called Âm Phủ due to its meeting only by night, from 4PM till next morning. There are almost everything on sales but mainly second-hand clothes, jewelleries, food and drinks.

Photo: Trương Quỳnh

Sales items are placed on canvas, in brackets... and buyers are free to pick and choose without being reprimanded. Things are cheap. In cold weather, its interesting to see people bargaining, laughing, talking and it’s seen as an identity of Đà Lạt. There are not quality foods on sales just boiled snails, dry fish or dry squids, half-hatched eggs, rice-soup or vermicelli... It’s free to choose the food you like best.

           

Food at the evening-market is in diversity and variety: Huế beef-vermicelli, Quảng noodle or Hà Nội phở, Nam Vang hủ tiếu... Bread in Đà Lạt market is well-known for its hot taste that costs only 2000VNĐ. There are eateries around Hòa Bình area.

           

There’s hardly anywhere that visitors can take walks as long as they wish in Đà Lạt, there’s less traffic, no dust and smoke but cool air on hills and mountains coated with plants and flowers. All this might make Đà Lạt more attractive. You can take night walks and taste baked maize or try some fried sweet-potato, fried banana... or after long walk round Xuân Hương lake, you make a stop-over to try some boiled snails in Âm Phủ market or on Trương Công Định road, enjoying half-hatched eggs, sniping rice-whisky, But best to remember is to drink hot milk scented with green peas or soybean. It’s the symbol-food of cold Đà Lạt.

           

It’s not merely a market, it’s cultural exchange. After long or short stay in Đà Lạt, visitors return home with the local souvenirs. Đà Lạt market by night is an experience to be remembered.

                                                                 THU HƯỜNG