Gia Lac Spring Fair – Explore the bustling spring festival in the ancient city

1The birth of Gia Lac Spring Fair

1.1 Origin of Gia Lac Spring Fair

Gia Lac is a landmark in the center of Hue city 3 km, located about 300m from the banks of the Perfume River. Gia Lac Market was founded by Dinh Vien Cong Nguyen Phuoc Binh (Fourth son of King Gia Long) during the reign of Minh Mang, over 170 years ago. At first, the market was established according to the king’s wishes to have a place to gather for spring entertainment for the royal family and the number of townspeople, craftsmen, officials and soldiers who for some reason did not return. Celebrate Tet in your hometown.

Gradually, the market became an attractive entertainment venue as well as a place to exchange and buy products, goods and spring specialties of Hue. Both sellers and buyers at the Gia Lac Spring Fair have the mentality of coming here to get luck and fortune at the beginning of the year. The Gia Lac Spring Fair is held all year round and is usually held during the three days of Tet. After that market, they disbanded and waited until early Spring of the following year to reappear.

Gia Lac Spring Fair has existed for a long time through many historical periods and has had ups and downs as well as changes in forms of trading, exchange, and entertainment. After going through two wars to liberate the country that lasted for 30 years with very fierce intensity, people’s lives had many upheavals, so the Gia Lac spring fair was interrupted, causing many years to occur. no, gradually fade away.

Currently, the form of early spring market here still exists, but people’s life as well as their psychology of enjoyment and entertainment needs have changed a lot. Therefore, the general atmosphere of the spring festival is no longer as exciting as before.

See more: New Year Tet comes with a joyful atmosphere at the Bai Choi festival

1.2 Meaning and purpose of Gia Lac Spring Fair

People who go to the Gia Lac Spring Fair at the beginning of the year do not care about profit or loss and only see this as a spring vacation to pray for good luck. That’s why it’s called Gia Lac – Meaning joyful. In addition, the market also has many interesting and typical traditional cultural activities of the dreamy land of Hue such as playing chair cards, hut cards, Thai cards, and rice pounding songs.

If you come to Hue during the Lunar New Year, don’t miss the typical festival here. Because this festival will help you understand more about the unique features of the country’s culture and history. Especially knowing more about the traditions and specialties of the Ancient Capital.

People who go to Gia Lac spring market must dress neatly and groom themselves neatly. Ladies and gentlemen must wear traditional clothes, five-fold, third-layer shirts… Buyers and sellers speak and behave in a civilized, polite and cheerful manner. There was no noise or arguing. On the 4th day of the Lunar New Year, the market returns to normal activities.

2Time and location of Gia Lac Spring Fair

2.1 Time

It has been a long-standing custom, to prepare for the Lunar New Year, the year-end markets on the 28th, 29th, and 30th are always filled with goods and crowded with buyers. On the 1st and 2nd day, most markets are not open. Shops and shops are closed to have fun, visit, and congratulate each other in the first days of spring.

While markets across the country all closed their sales, only Gia Lac market became more crowded than usual. Gia Lac Xuan Fair takes place on the occasion of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. This is a unique festival that takes place during three New Year days from January 1 to January 3 of the lunar calendar.

During the three days of Tet, every day the Gia Lac Spring Fair is crowded with buyers and sellers. Tourists from far away also come to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of this spring day because everyone is very interested in learning about the unique market of the Ancient Capital.

2.2 Location

The location of the Xuan Gia Lac fair is at the intersection adjacent to Nam Pho village. On 2 roads, 1 to Duong No, 1 to Ngoc Anh and about 3km from Hue city center in the direction of Vy Da. If Hue tourists continue walking toward the Huong River about 300m, they will see the other side of the river is Hue Palace Market.

3What is attractive about the Gia Lac Spring Fair?

Early in the morning of the first day of Tet, people from all over the world flock to Gia Lac market to participate in the Tet market. Sellers, buyers, and onlookers go to the crowded market, creating a bustling scene filled with spring colors.

The market is held from the 1st to the 3rd day of Tet to sell goods from people in the area. Anyone who has something they want to sell can sell it. From daily household items such as bowls, betel leaves, old tea sets, canned fruits, ready-made clothes to children’s toys, cakes, fruits…

In addition, there are also a number of restaurants serving a variety of Hue specialties, especially the famous delicious roasted pork and veal dishes. Next to it is the place where card hut, card game thai chair and other interesting games are held.

Everyone comes here to have fun, everyone tries to maintain a proper style and attitude in behavior and communication to express the traditional culture of the ancient capital in the early spring. Almost all of them dressed luxuriously and neatly, walked and spoke politely. Especially not noisy, shouting at each other or fighting to buy or sell like normal market days.

People who come to the market will buy some souvenirs, participate in some folk and entertainment games, enjoy a couple of chants, lyrical response songs, a couple of witty and satirical sentences in the warm spring atmosphere. happy. Guests coming here to enjoy the spring can also try their luck at the beginning of the year with a game of Chinese cards to hear the melodious voice of ho thai mixed with a bit of laughter and charming jokes. Or enjoy specialties and special glasses of medicinal wine in the warm spring air.

This is definitely one of the special markets that visitors to Hue should not miss. If you want to learn about Hue culture, you can come here during the 3 days of Tet to immerse yourself in the ancient space of the unique spring fair. Don’t forget to pocket the experience of going to Hue on your own to explore many other festivals in Hue. Wishing you a happy trip filled with beautiful memories!