What hues paint the countryside market?

Countryside market, just those two simple words conjure a vivid image in my mind, where the colors of daily life weave and blend, creating a space both familiar and full of vitality. A countryside market is more than a place for buying and selling; it is the very breath of rural life, where the human spirit moves in harmony with the rhythms of earth and sky. So, what color is a countryside market? Last week, I visited Tan Phu market and took note of its many hues. But perhaps that alone is not enough. I must borrow the colors of memory, of feeling, to complete the picture.

First, the countryside market is green. The green of baskets brimming with freshly picked vegetables - Malabar spinach, water spinach, mustard greens, tender sweet potato shoots, or even a handful of pepper elder - still sparkling with the night’s dew. Those lush leaves seem to hold within them the essence of the soil, of the diligent hands that nurture and cherish them. In the soft light of dawn, that green becomes gentle, like nature’s warm greeting to those who come to the market to prepare family meals. It is not only the color of vegetables, but also the color of joy, of abundance, a gift from the land and sky.

But the countryside market is not only green. I see it radiant in yellow. The yellow belongs to the fresh corn, to the ripe bananas hanging in clusters from the stalls, to the neatly stacked papayas, and to the fragrant pineapples. It also belongs to the golden honey, which the vendors carefully pour drop by drop for customers to taste. That yellow is also the sunlight, which streams freely through the branches and falls on the paths where traces of red earth still lead into the market. That sunlight is like a sparkling coat, covering everything, from the simple stalls to the radiant smiles of the vendors. To me, that yellow represents warmth, cheerfulness, and the lively joy that the countryside market brings.

The countryside market also wears red, the color of bustling activity and vigorous life. The red belongs to the ripe tomatoes and to the fresh chilies, which jostle together in baskets. That red also appears in the floral blouses and handkerchiefs that women wear when they visit the market. I remember the Lunar New Year markets, when red seemed to explode everywhere: in the red envelopes and in the cords tying bundles of dong leaves… That red evokes good fortune, reunion, and the fresh joy found in the lively greetings exchanged among acquaintances who meet after a long time. Here and there, some young girls’ cheeks flush pink, like the red gac fruits at the stalls, either in response to a joke or to the midday sun. That red seems to be the color of liveliness, of human warmth, and of the everyday stories that the countryside market preserves.

Amid the vibrant colors, the countryside market also carries the earthy brown of simplicity and sincerity. It is the brown of woven bamboo trays, of worn-out sandals beneath the vendors’ feet, and of timeworn motorbikes. It is the color of dusty paths leading into the market, of tarpaulins faded by sun and rain, and of the woven baskets slung across the backs of ethnic minority vendors. These subtle accents sometimes stand out in the market scene. I remember the late afternoons, when the crowd had thinned and that brown seemed to deepen, blending with the sunset to create a peace that is hard to put into words.

The countryside market also holds a pure white. The white belongs to the fragrant sticky rice grains, to the round rice cakes neatly arranged on banana leaves, and to the steaming cassava in trays. That white is also the fresh, bright color of smiles and of the warm greetings exchanged between strangers.

What color is a countryside market? Perhaps it cannot be defined by a single shade, as it is a full palette of life. Each color tells a story, holds a memory, a fragment of lived experience. The countryside market is where these hues meet and blend, forming a painting that never fades, no matter how much time passes. To me, the countryside market holds the color of human warmth, of earth and sky, and of the simple, enduring things.

By: Nguyen Minh Hai
Translated by: Dang Huyen - Minho