The market is most crowded at 6 a.m. and ends at 8-9 a.m. Hundreds of boats and ships of all size gather here for trading fruit and produces typical of the waterways region. In the Southwest of dense system of rivers and canals, boats are a primary means of transportation. It is the unique lifestyle closely attached to waterways region that has interested numerous visitors to this place.

After school, this 11-year-old boy follows his mother to help earn a living. Although he has to take a midterm exam in the afternoon, he still goes to the market for selling goods until 11 a.m. While skillfully advertising his products, he says that water and boats are his childhood and his life.

In the bustle and hustle atmosphere of the market session, visitors can observe and learn the daily life activities of extended families living on water. Colors  and smell of fruit and produces as well as daily goods seem limitless such as the bright red rambutans, dark purple of mangosteens, strong fragrance of durians….Each boat sells one kind of fruit and the boat owners hang what they sell high on a tall bamboo tree called “cay beo” as a way of announcing “ I am selling longans!” “ I am selling mangos!” 

Because people coming here need to buy more than fruit and produces, there are boats providing other products and services like pho, Chinese noodles, coffee, alcohol... Service providing boats are often small finding their ways in the crowded market to serve both locals and visitors. Going around the floating market, visitors can enjoy the typical local foods such as Chinese noodles, bread, coffee, coconut milk…

Nowadays, although the system of road transport has developed fast, Cai Rang Floating Market still works, even better than before. This is not only the market place for the people in Can Tho City but also an attractive tourist spot to domestic and foreign visitors

Photo: Canthotourist

The market is busy and crowded from early in the morning and traders from everywhere gather here. Among them are those coming for trading goods for exporting to Cambodia and China.

On each boat, the seller hangs what they want to sell on a tall tree. From apart, the buyers can easily identify which boat sells what they want to buy and get accessed to it. The most fascinating scene in the market is how skillfully people pass the produces from this boat to another.

Photo: Canthotourist

The sounds of operating boat engines and rows, of dashing waves on the boats as well as people’s talking and laughing make the market busier and more crowded. Visitors to this market can both enjoy the flowers and fruit and talk to simple and hospitable locals in order to learn more about their life in this waterways place. The most interesting thing as visiting this market is that visitors can buy fresh fruit as gifts for their relatives and friends. Due to such impressive memories of the scenery and people here, they may wish to return to this southwestern in the future.