The authorities in Can Tho City is trying to maintain and improve Cai Rang Floating Market despite various obstacles such as weak products and unsanitary conditions.
Cai Rang Floating Market
Some figures were released at the Cai Rang Floating Market Festival and the ceremony to recognise the market as national intangible heritage on July 8-9. Years ago, the Cai Rang Floating Market attracted 500 boats daily. But now this number has fallen to 200-250. Only during festivals and holidays up to 400 boats visit the 1 km-long floating market.
According to the surveys done by Can Tho City Institute for Socio-Economic Development Studies, there are 70 boats that have dead weight tonnage of 15-30 tonnes and 80 to 100 small boats with dead weight tonnage of four to 15 tonnes.
As road transportation is being developed, the waterways have become less popular and the market is losing its product variety. The nature of a floating market is attractive to 46.7% of domestic tourists and 59.2% of foreign tourists. However, the displayed products are only attractive to 35% domestic tourists and a mere 5% of international tourists.
The products are important to the market's existence because it is established as a wholesale market and 86.7% of the total products are agricultural produce. If the market loses customers, low-income families will be badly affected.
Most of the traders on the floating market are poor couples who had to drop out since secondary school to follow the family trade. The traders are from other provinces in the Mekong Delta and have been trading at the market for over 20 years.
67.5% of the traders wanted financial support to repair and upgrade boats rather than investment and health insurance. Many don't understand the need to appeal to international market as only 16.7% want help in learning a foreign language and only 10.8% wanted support in tourism knowledge.
Pollution, chaotic operation and unsanitary conditions were also taking a toll. Domestic waste is regularly dumped in the river. During the rush hour from 5 to 6am, boats often discharge waste from their on-board toilets.
After Cai Rang was recognised as national intangible heritage on July 9, the authorities of Can Tho City said they would spend USD2.8m into reserving, re-organising and improving management over the market. In addition, they also aim to build high-quality tourist services like floating restaurants and souvenir shops.
However, the proposal has met with scepticism from several experts as they expressed their worries that expensive and huge ships may destroy the market's image and affect the business of small traders. If small traders can no longer do business, Cai Rang floating market may be lost forever.
