The Khau Vai Love Market - has become a meeting place for anyone interested in love. Khau Vai, which is home to the Giay Nung and Muong amd it is not so far from Meo Vac. Annually the market attracts devorced lovers by the forests and mountains to Khau Vai to discuss issues from the past. They enjoy a short meeting where they share sweet memories exchange gifts or just staring at each other. Sometimes they are even accompanied by their (new) spouses if the journey goes through the wilderness.
This Festival (Love Market) is actually a meeting place for former beloved ones to pour out their hearts. It takes place on 26th and 27th of the third lunar month on top of a hill at Khau Vai. On the festival are of course food and drinks. Also many cultural performances such as singing and folk games. Of course you see people in traditional costumes with
jewellery and you can hear the music instruments from this region. There are many activities that are provided by the local population.
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It is said that the beauty and the power of love maintained so long this love market. Close by the market are two temples: Ong and Ba (Mr. and Mrs.). The story of the "Love Market" is about these temples.
There were once there was a boy and a girl, who were born in two different places on the the Dong Van Plateau. Because the two families forbade them to marry each other, they decided to leave their families and settle down in the Khau Vai, which was a prosperous country with green plants. In honor of their earnings to cultivate the land from the wilderness to a rich agricultural land, the locals built the two temples to worship them. |
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Interesting?
Another myth tells the story of a young couple from different tribes who were in love. The girl belonged to the Giay and the boy to the Nung. The girl was so beautiful that the tribe would not let her marry someone from another tribe. This created violent conflict between the two tribes. To stop shedding the blood of the two lovers they decided not to see each other again. However, she had planned to see each other once a year. The place where they previously met is Khau Vai which thereafter became a meeting place for all lovers.
Attracted couples of different ages come since that time to Khau Vai including those who seek a partner for the first time. Most of them are those who love each other very much, but can not marry for different reasons. On the day the market place, both the woman and her husband along to the market, but they look forward to their previous partner to share emotions. If one of them stays at home, he or she is not jealous because the encounter on the market is only a temporary feeling exchange, where it has no negative impact on real life.
Cultural Activities
Activities:
- On the first day of the market there is an opening ceremony for the new calendar year. On this day at a predetermined hour, people bathe and draw their best clothes in anticipation of the new year. They bring incense lights, flowers and fruits to a pagoda where they belong. Each participant prays to the Buddha and make prayers for a Happy New Year. Children doing fun activities late into the night.
- The second day there was a ceremony to offer cooked rice and and they make a pile of sand. Each family Khmer cooking rice and give it early in the morning and afternoon to Buddhist monks at the pagoda. In the afternoon, the people make the sand pile. This would bring good luck.
- On the third day there is a ceremony to wash the Buddha statue and Buddhist monks. In the afternoon they burn incense make offerings and use them scented water to wash the statue. This is to pay tribute and gratitude to Buddha. This is also to get rid of the ills of the old year and the very best wishes for the new year.
