The main market session on Saturdays draws hundreds of buyers and vendors, with around 40 stalls setting up cameras. On weekdays a dozen tripods dot the market as sellers film their sales and upload videos to YouTube to earn ad revenues.
A man from Xuan Lap Commune films himself and his daughter selling homegrown kohlrabi and a steady stream of customers coming for their low price of VND10,000 (US$0.40) per kilogram.
Before selling, he asks buyers to queue up to capture well-framed shots from multiple angles.
Within 10 minutes his 10-year-old daughter sells out their entire stock.
Huyen (green checked shirt) sells bamboo-cooked sticky rice and layered pandan cake in the market, drawing a lot of interested buyers.
A man stands nearby with a camera, recording her interactions.
Previously relying solely on selling farm produce, the 41-year-old started filming her stall in 2023 after seeing others succeed on YouTube.
She now sells homegrown vegetables and handmade sweets, saying her YouTube income allows her to offer lower prices to local customers.
A videographer explains that stall placement is key for attracting buyers and getting good shots while avoiding footage of other YouTubers to prevent copyright issues.
Lan Thi Phuong and her husband travel 30 km from Khau Cau Village in Phuc Yen Commune to sell ginger at Lang Can Market. The 22-year-old woman says she visits twice a month, depending on the harvest.
The couple, previously reliant on farming, started filming their market trips when YouTube content creation became popular. They saved up to buy a camera and tripod for higher-quality videos.
Phuong, who has a YouTube channel with 50,000 subscribers, says: "In the past we just wanted to sell out quickly and go home. Now we focus on capturing engaging footage, hoping our videos reach a million views.”
Several times a week Truc Thi Lai (pink shirt) from Khau Quang Village brings 10 kg of homegrown sweet potato and other vegetables to the market with her daughter and younger brother.
The 25-year-old previously worked in factories in Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces and Hai Phong City but returned home over a year ago to sell farm produce and create YouTube content.
Lai says she used to earn VND9-10 million a month as a factory worker but had to live away from her family. Now her income from selling in the market and YouTube sometimes reaches tens of millions of dong (VND10 million = US$395) a month.
She uses her money from the sales for daily expenses, while her YouTube income goes toward buying filming equipment, her children’s education and supporting her parents.
Market vendor Hoang Thi Tich (green headscarf) of Na Kha Village says the market was once purely a trading hub, but since late 2023 young vendors have flocked to sell goods and film content.
On regular days some 10 professional cameras are set up, but on main market days, that number triples or quadruples, with YouTubers sometimes outnumbering buyers.
Initially camera-shy, the 59-year-old is now used to being filmed. Now, whenever she buys something, she even reminds the vendor to start recording, she says.
"I know how hard these young people work on their videos, so I want to help," she says. Since the YouTubers began frequenting the market there have been more visitors, boosting sales, she adds.
Besides Lang Can’s main market, traditional markets across Tuyen Quang's Lam Binh District also attract content creators.
At the Phuc Yen Commune market, two to three cameras are set up daily, with some filming vendors and others using the market as a backdrop for short films.
Ban Thi Chan of Phieng Mo Village says the market has become livelier since YouTube filming took off, with video creators present at every corner.
A Lam Binh District Department of Culture and Information official says that besides the 4.0 market model in Lang Can, other markets in the district are also seeing a surge in vendors-turned-YouTubers.
"These YouTube videos help showcase local culture and agricultural produce to a wider audience."
Dozens of YouTubers gathering at Lang Can Market in Lam Binh District to sell goods and film content. Video by "Nguoi Mien Nui"
