Known by the local name of Kad Chin Haw, the Chinese Muslim farmers’ market comes alive every Friday morning between 6 am and lunch time. It’s located in an empty lot next to an old northern Thai teak house, opposite the oldest mosque in Chiang Mai.
The Chin Haw Friday Market
Street sign off the Night Bazaar street where you can find the market
The Ban Haw Mosque
The Chin Haw originally came from Yunnan as traders. They travelled extensively between China and Burma, across the rugged mountainous tracks of northern Thailand in large mule caravans, selling their goods for centuries before settling down in Chiang Mai. In this particular market, you can still hear them speak in their native language and see them in traditional clothes.
A Chin Haw woman selling samosas, pakoras and other fried snacks
Two Chin Haw vendors Enjoying their morning selling at the market
Another Chin Haw vendor selling freshly made home cooked food and condiments
Chin Haw customers
Popular snacks!
Among a variety of interesting foods that are sold at this market are chickens, seafood, fermented bean curd, fried tofu, and pickled vegetables.
Marinated tofu
Kad Chin Haw also accommodates another large ethnic group – the Tai Yai (Shans) from the Shan State in Burma. It’s radical to imagine that the Shan traders are allowed to sell homemade pork sausages in a traditional Chinese Muslim area but alas – they do without any conflict!
Shan pork produce on sale at Kad Chin Haw
A Shan market vendor
Traditional Shan women’s blouses for sale
A Shan vegetable vendor
Cosmetics from Burma that are popular with Shan women
A small sample of the large variety of fresh vegetables for sale every Friday morning!
Honey Chicken
Lots of avocados
Peaches
Seeds for sale
Shan sweet rice cakes
All kinds of rice for sale including the hiltribe red rice varieties
Fresh lychees in season – and a lot cheaper than buying fruit at Sompet market!
Bonsai plants and natural honey
The coffee vendor
An empty samlor waiting to take me back home!
I really enjoyed this post and looking forward to seeing the market for myself soon. Great photos!
Many thanks! It’s a really cool little market! Hope you enjoy it!