Shopping in Hoa Binh

As the heart of Vietnam's hill-tribe culture, Hoa Binh has a rich variety of textiles and traditional arts and crafts sold in the village markets. Be sure to also visit some local homes and watch the creation of beautiful fabrics and clothing by the skilled hands of ladies weaving on their looms. Mai Chau has a Sunday market, which brings in tribes-people from the surrounding hills to sell their wares including their signature tho cam embroidered fabrics and agricultural products including bananas and corn. Polite bargaining is the norm here; be sure to keep it light and friendly.
Arts and crafts unique to Hoa Binh include go lua, figures and furniture sculpted from tree trunks; mats, hand baskets, hats, fruit trays and lampshades made with hand-made bamboo wattle; and beautiful brocade weaving using indigo dyed cotton and coloured silk on hand-crafted looms. The brocade fabrics are then made into pillow cases, tablecloths, bed spreads and other decorative items for the home.