May 12, 2017

0109, 3049 VIETNAM (Mekong Delta) - Floating markets in Cần Thơ

3049 Cái Răng floating market

Posted on 27.01.2012, 12.05.2017
With an estimated population of 1,121,000 as of 2004, Cần Thơ is the biggest city in the Mekong Delta,  being regarded as Western capital of Vietnam. Located on the south bank of the Hậu River, the bigger branch of the Mekong River, it has a reputation for being a welcoming place, where everybody is smiling and welcoming. Cần Thơ is famous also for its floating markets, where people sell and buy things on the river, and can be quite freely visited on board smaller boats.

0109 A floating market in Cần Thơ

Farmers from the region bring their goods, fruits and vegetables mainly, to the markets and sell them to local dealers. These dealers sell the products to shops in the neighboring towns and to wholesale dealers from the big towns. All big boats have a pole. Each wholesaler hangs the goods he buys/sells on this pole. On the floating markets you don't find only people buying and selling goods, but also floating restaurants, floating bars, floating gas stations, and many other floating shops.

Cái Răng is situated at 4km from Cần Thơ city centre, and is the most important wholesaler floating market of the Mekong Delta. Many big wooden boats come alongside the ones to the others, with by way of a sign a long wooden stick to which they hang up a sample of what they sell. Their bow, often coloured in red and white, shows that the owners live on their boat during the time they sell off the goods. Other floating markets in the area are Phong Điền (it is further upstream the Cần Thơ river), Phụng Hiệp (much farther away, in the neighboring Hậu Giang province,and Trà Ôn, in Vinh Long province.

About the stamps
On the postcard 0109


The first stamp, Vietnam in the ASEAN Community, issued on October 27, 2010, celebrates the fact that in that year Vietnam officially assumed the position of ASEAN Chairman, replacing Thailand and marks the 15th year of Vietnam's accession to ASEAN. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), established on 8 August 1967, is an inter-governmental organization, which aims to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development; promote regional peace and stability; promote active collaboration and mutual assistance among its members (Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam). The design of the stamp (made by Nguyễn Du, the winner of the contest launched by the Ministry of Information and Communications), depicts the Vietnam Flag together with other ASEAN Flags around the logo of Vietnam 2010 ASEAN Chairman.

The second stamp belongs to a set dedicated to Quan họ Bắc Ninh, about which I wrote here.

On the postcard 3049
The stamp is one of the two issued on February 13, 2017 under the name National Year of Tourism.
3000 VND - It's on the postcard 3049
10.500 VND

References
Cai Rang Floating Market - The Collective Intelligence
The Mekong Delta: boat ride in the floating markets - The Beauty is in the Walking

Sender 0109: Lyra Dacio / lmdacio (direct swap)
Sent from Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), on 12.12.2011
Sender 3049: Do Xuan Manh (direct swap)
Sent from Hanoi (Red River Delta / Vietnam), on 08.04.2017

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