Ben Thanh Market, Saigon/HoChiMinh City (must see)
The Ben Thanh Market is the most vibrant among marketplaces in Ho Chi Minh City. The shops sell a range of merchandise including clothing, leather goods, household items, and livestock.
This market is one of the oldest surviving structures in the city. It was first an informal market, created by a gathering of traders near the Saigon River. A formal market, built by the French in 1870, was burned by a fire, and the current structure was built in 1912 as the Central Market Hall. The present market's appearance is the result of a renovation in 1985.
The Ben Thanh Market consists of a neatly arranged network of aisles. The shops are grouped together according to the products they sell. The front part consists of shops selling clothing, leather, and textiles. The food section offers different types of pickled vegetables, duck, crab, rice, rice noodles, tea, coffee and spices. Local cafes and eateries are located at the end of the market where one can sample local cuisine, Vietnamese coffee and a well known Vietnamese dessert called Che. It is also a popular tourist destination because some shops sell souvenirs at lower prices than in other parts of the city.
Why You Should Visit:
Price and quality of goods here are good, plus an excellent place to enjoy local food.
Tip:
Haggling is required to get the best deal and to avoid rip-offs. The regular market is closed around 6 or 7pm, after which the night-time market will be operated outside until midnight.
This market is one of the oldest surviving structures in the city. It was first an informal market, created by a gathering of traders near the Saigon River. A formal market, built by the French in 1870, was burned by a fire, and the current structure was built in 1912 as the Central Market Hall. The present market's appearance is the result of a renovation in 1985.
The Ben Thanh Market consists of a neatly arranged network of aisles. The shops are grouped together according to the products they sell. The front part consists of shops selling clothing, leather, and textiles. The food section offers different types of pickled vegetables, duck, crab, rice, rice noodles, tea, coffee and spices. Local cafes and eateries are located at the end of the market where one can sample local cuisine, Vietnamese coffee and a well known Vietnamese dessert called Che. It is also a popular tourist destination because some shops sell souvenirs at lower prices than in other parts of the city.
Why You Should Visit:
Price and quality of goods here are good, plus an excellent place to enjoy local food.
Tip:
Haggling is required to get the best deal and to avoid rip-offs. The regular market is closed around 6 or 7pm, after which the night-time market will be operated outside until midnight.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Saigon/HoChiMinh City. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Ben Thanh Market on Map
Sight Name: Ben Thanh Market
Sight Location: Saigon/HoChiMinh City, Vietnam (See walking tours in Saigon/HoChiMinh City)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Saigon/HoChiMinh City, Vietnam (See walking tours in Saigon/HoChiMinh City)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Saigon/HoChiMinh City, Vietnam
Create Your Own Walk in Saigon/HoChiMinh City
Creating your own self-guided walk in Saigon/HoChiMinh City is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Saigon/HoChiMinh City Introduction Walking Tour
While many still refer to the city as Saigon, it was renamed Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in 1976 after the reunification of North and South Vietnam. The name honors the first leader of communist North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh. But many still call the inner business district Saigon, while the larger metropolitan area is known as HCMC.
For most of its early history, this was a scarcely populated area... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles
For most of its early history, this was a scarcely populated area... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles
Historical Religious Sites
For centuries, Vietnamese people have practiced Confucianism and Buddhism brought over from neighboring China. Added to these Eastern teachings, in the 16th century, was Christianity 鈥� introduced to Vietnam by Western missionaries. The result of this variety of faiths has become a mixture of gorgeous Confucian and Buddhist temples and Catholic churches in Ho Chi Minh City. Some of these... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.9 Km or 3.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.9 Km or 3.7 Miles
Chinatown Walking Tour
The relationship between Vietnam and China traces back over 2,000 years. Over this time, Vietnamese culture, customs, administrative system, and even the language have been heavily influenced by the great northern neighbor. So much so, in fact, that although Vietnam had its own spoken language, until the late 1800s its official written language was Chinese.
Chinatown in Ho Chi Minh City,... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Chinatown in Ho Chi Minh City,... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Shopping Tour
Among other accolades, Ho Chi Minh City is known as a great shopping destination. Attesting to its reputation are a plethora of street markets scattered throughout the city, selling all sorts of fresh local produce, including coffee beans, and other delights, not to mention street food and souvenirs 鈥� all at extremely competitive prices. There are also designated markets specialized in niche... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles