Talat Sao, or the Morning Market, Vientiane’s beloved downtown market, is officially no more. Over the past few years, two shopping malls have been constructed around the old, open-air, more traditional market, but it continued to thrive in their shadows. The Talat Sao II Mall was promised as being more modern, home to a movie theater and other amenities, but currently only has shops on 3 of its 6+ floors. In finally demolishing the old market, there is a push for vendors to move into the shopping mall, although the rent is exponentially higher, and the space will be added to the mall property.
I used to go to this part of Talat Sao to buy fabric, or souvenirs to send home, or any number of random items. Most people seem to be in agreement that it was better than either of the two malls looming overhead, but now the shops will be scattered between the shopping mall and other markets and shopping areas around town.
So here’s a tribute to the old Talat Sao market–its dark, dusty corners, narrow walkways, hanging signage, peaked roof, lack of airconditioning, and most of all, its labyrinthine passages which revealed all sorts of treasures, if you were patient enough to uncover them.
Read more about the market’s history and closure here.
R.I.P. Old Talat Sao.
