Cai Rang Floating Market

Cai Rang Floating Market is the largest and most famous floating market in the Mekong Delta, located on the Cai Rang River in Cai Rang District, Can Tho City. Formed in the early 20th century, it functions as a wholesale market where boats advertise produce on tall poles called cay beo. Vendors sell fruits, vegetables and local foods directly from boats. Recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage, it showcases the river-based trading culture of southern Vietnam.

Visitors can expect an early-morning river scene with hundreds of boats gathered on the Cai Rang River, many laden with seasonal fruits, vegetables and agricultural products. Vendors hang samples on tall wooden poles (cay beo) to advertise goods. Small boats weave between larger wholesale vessels selling coffee, noodles, and breakfast dishes. The experience is accessed by hired boat, typically departing from Ninh Kieu Wharf, with views of river life, stilt houses and the Cai Rang Bridge.

Cai Rang Floating Market formed in the early 20th century, with origins linked to the development of waterway trade in the Mekong Delta. It initially developed near Phong Dien area and later concentrated at its current location on the Cai Rang River near Cai Rang Bridge, becoming a major wholesale hub for agricultural products from the delta for over 100 years.

The market represents the traditional river-based commercial culture of the Mekong Delta, where trade, transport and daily life are centered on waterways. It preserves the wholesale trading custom using cay beo poles and floating cuisine. In 2016, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized Cai Rang Floating Market as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.