Spring fair in Hanoi offers glimpse of Lao Cai rural market

Visitors to the event can observe the making of textile products demonstrated by ethnic craftsmen from Lao Cai province

All steps of cloth making are done totally by hand

A craftsman using wax to produce decorative patterns on a piece of fabric

Medical herbs of the ethnic people in the province are also on sale at the fair

Customers given detail instruction for use from a local seller

Fairgoers also have the chance to enjoy folk songs and dances of the ethnic people

A typical cooking corner of local residents in the locality reproduced at the fair

‘Xoi ngu sac’ (five-colored steamed glutinous rice), a popular dish of local people

A fire lit to warm up the night, encouraging participants to dance around and share in on the joy of the event

The fair, hosted by VEAEC and the Lao Cai provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, runs through February 15 at 2 Hoa Lu Street, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi