About 30km from Lang Son City, Tan Thanh Market was once considered the "commercial heart" of the Northeast region.
In the 2000s, this place had hundreds of stalls specializing in selling clothes, shoes, electronics, and household appliances imported from China. The area around the market is always crowded with trucks, passenger cars, traders and tourists.
"All day without a break, business was bustling until midnight. Those who come to Lang Son but have not visited Tan Thanh market are considered to not know the border. Every weekend, cars from Hanoi rush to the border to shop, said Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha, a trader who has been with the market for more than 20 years.
The market used to be a bright spot in border trade, contributing greatly to local budget revenue, while creating jobs for thousands of people around the area.
However, in April, when present here, according to the reporter's records, the current images show a completely opposite reality.
The main market building, which used to be a bustling trading center, is now closed, tracing time. The signboard broke, the corrugated iron roof fell off the frame, and moss covered the steps.
Not far away, the warehouse at the market is now deserted, the corrugated iron roof is rotten, the walls are cracked, the iron doors are rusty and leaky like waiting for the day to collapse. Not a single person.
At Huu Nghi market, stalls that were once crowded with tourists, now have closed and unlocked due to the wave of site clearance after the pandemic.
Inside Hong Kong market and the adjacent shopping mall, there are still a few stalls open but the number of customers is bustling. Some traders sadly sit on the stalls, waiting for each rare step of customers crossing the street.
It was not until 4:00 p.m. that customers "open the shop", Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Trang, a household goods seller at the entrance to Hong Kong market, shared: "Every day, I can only sell a few snacks, mainly from backpacking tourists. There are almost no traders or people coming here to buy and sell. There are days when I can't open the store."
Explaining the reason why the busiest market in the border area has become a deserted, deserted place, Ms. Hong said that the decline of Tan Thanh market began since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The policy of closing the border and strictly controlling goods from China has disrupted the supply chain. Traders cannot import goods, customers are decreasing, many people are forced to return the premises and close kiosks.
Even after the border reopened, trade activities could not be restored to their former state. Tightening public policies and changing tax and trade policies from both sides has caused the traditional border market model to gradually lose its competitive advantage.
"Now that online trading is developing, many consumers and traders have switched to ordering online, delivering on the spot, instead of having to travel hundreds of kilometers to the border gate to get goods as before" - the female trader said.
"We really want to return to business, but now everyone is afraid of "taking a drug deal a second time". No one dares to invest while not knowing what the future of the market will be, said a trader who bought a kiosk in 2022.
Talking with reporters, Mr. Hoang Khanh Duy - Management Board of Dong Dang - Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone said that currently, in the Tan Thanh market area, a number of shopping malls and markets are under the management of the Board. However, some are under the management of private units and joint stock companies.
According to Mr. Duy, Tan Thanh market is currently in a state of desolation and deserted due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, and has not yet been able to recover.
Difficult trading leads to a wave of mass site return, creating a desolate scene in the border area.
"Currently, the Board is preparing to hand over Tan Thanh market to Van Lang District for management according to the province's decision," said the Management Board of Dong Dang - Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone.
