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Located on the outskirts of Hanoi, the hat market in Chuong village, Thanh Oai district is hundreds of years old. Arriving in Chuong village in a conical hat market, many people are surprised at the way local people are trading. In this traditional market, conical hat sellers run everywhere while buyers just sit still.
The conical hat market from above
Chuong conical hat village is famous throughout the country for the traditional production of Non la (conical hat). On the 4th, 10th, 14th, 20th and 24th of each month, the Chuong village hat market becomes more bustling and crowded because buyers and sellers gather and trade right in the middle of the village’s communal house.
Thousand of conical hats
Each market period only happens for about two hours, however people selling hats have been filling motorcycles carrying dozens of hats to the market since early morning. Street vendors carry 10-20 pieces of hat on their heads or shoulders, walking around the market looking for buyers.
At the main market, people making hats everywhere carry hats to sell briskly, right from the market gate
As for the buyers, they sit in one place, waiting for the hat to be delivered to them and then pay. Each conical hat in Chuong village usually costs from 50,000 to 100,000 VND. Depending on the thin or fast stitches, the different non la has varied strength and durability.
Visiting the market on this occasion, many tourists have mistakenly asked to buy some hats from people sitting in the middle of a large pile of hats. Actually he or she is also a buyer. The buyer is sitting and counting, checking the quality of each hat brought from the seller.
Raw materials to make conical hats
Local people gather to make non la
Mrs. Nguyen Thi Ngoai, who has 50 years of experience in selling hats, said, "You should buy a conical hat today because it is the cheapest season. Conical hats are more expensive in January, March, June and October because that's the time when people go to transplant or harvest... so they buy a lot. There are not so many sellers today, however the number of buyers is still large. They continuously need for exporting. By sitting at a place and wearing such a bag, they can be easily recognized and reached by sellers.”
The bustling atmosphere of conical hat market
The women seller with her non la just bought
At the end of the Chuong conical hat market, the traders sit down and collect all the hats they bought, then hire some strong men to transfer products to their truck.
(Photo: Internet)
To see more about Hanoi:
>> Van Phuc Silk Village - the Traditional Cultural Beauty of Thousand Years
>> Exciting Full Day Private Tour to Ha Thai - Vac - Chuong handicraft village
