Ben Thanh Market; Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
While there are many markets in Ho Chi Minh City; Ben Thanh Market Is my favorite and one of the most interesting places I visited in 2014 on my first trip to Vietnam. The Market had been at its present location, intersection of Lê Lợi and Hàm Nghi Blvds, for over a 100 years. This Market is known for it’s astonishing selection of items from household goods, food, clothing to hardware and livestock. I was amazed by the level of energy, noise, willingness to deal and amount of signage in English. The present version of the Market serves as a District 1 landmark for its clock tower as much as the variety of goods sold inside. The French constructed the Central Market Halls in 1914. The French built the market with reinforced concrete unlike the wooden framed canopies of the two earlier versions.
From what I could see and learn from talking to elders, other than the utilities being upgraded and an interior redesign to increase number of stalls, the Market functions pretty
much as did in the 40s. Consisting of over 1,500 rented stalls the Market is broken up into three general areas; entering under the clock (southeast entrance) you will find clothes to the right, general merchandise to the left and the back third food, flowers and eateries. At night, locals gather at the market for fresh, local delicacies from Pho noodle dishes and steamed rice cakes to grilled seafood and barbecued pork.
Suits, shirts, dresses made in a day; t-shirts; hats (baseball and Nón Lá); silk pajamas; fabrics; and much more are offered all throughout the clothing/textile section. Watches; jewelry; sun glasses; carvings of Buddha and animals; household, HBA and paper goods are among the items offered in the general merchandise side stalls. As you wander through the stalls, the noise, crowds and smell draw you to the heart of the market - the back third.
Spices, tea, coffee, candy and processed foods are available for tourists and locals. While there are many spices including ginger, cinnamon (powder and bark), Black pepper, and coriander you seem to be able to smell Saigon Cinnamon first. Walking through this area you will notice the rich mix of smells changes from being dominated by coffee to cinnamon. You can buy in quantity to take home or just to sample while there. I bring cinnamon bark home to impress house guests by fresh grating cinnamon over their coffee and oatmeal in the morning.
Eating and drinking area stalls are known for their quality and prices; I like being able to point to the posted menus (pictures and English) highlighting local dishes to order. I had my first taste of “Salted Egg Custard Buns” in the Market it was remarkable. The last area of the market is for daily items which I found to be the most intriguing. The Vietnam Cookery Center’s “Introductory Course in Vietnamese Cooking” starts out with a guided tour of daily items section to show participants the full range of fruits, fresh vegetables and herbs, fish and meat used in Vietnamese cooking.
The Tour provides you with a basic overview of uses of various items that you will be using in class. With hanging and propped up carcasses on display; it was easy to imagine every cut of meat and organ of domestic and wildlife was available for sale. I remember my first walk through the fish stall aisle with fresh and saltwater fish, turtles, eels, still croaking frogs and crabs and being overwhelmed with the variety of offerings. I saw a “snakehead” escape from it’s holding tank and start to cross the aisle, only to be run over by cart delivering animal carcasses. As you exit the Market at the North Entrance (Cửa Bắc) you and onto Lê Thánh Tôn Street, you pass through the fragrance of fresh cut flowers.
To learn more about visiting Ho Chi Minh City and its markets please contact Sumac Travel Services today and let us help you plan the perfect vacation experience for you. Call 219-706-5137 or Email: tom.davenport@cruiseplanners.com
