Bến Thành Market ( vi, Chợ Bến Thành) is located in the center of
Hồ Chí Minh City, Vietnam in
District 1 District 1 may refer to:
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* Sector 1 (Bucharest), also known as District 1, in Bucharest, Romania
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* District ...
. The market is one of the earliest surviving structures in
Saigon
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
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and an important symbol of the city. Ben Thanh Market is a famous destination for many local and foreign tourists from all around the world. The market operates all year round and opens at around 6am every day until the official closing time at 6pm. After 6pm, the day market transitions into a night market which runs until 10pm.
Today, Ben Thanh Market welcomes more than 10,000 visitors per day to shop and visit. The market has nearly 1,500 booths with more than 6,000 small businesses selling wholesale and retail items from consumables to luxury goods. Currency exchanges are not required by some vendors but most prefer Vietnam's currency,
Vietnamese dong
Vietnamese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia
** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam.
* Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam
** Overse ...
.
Location
Ben Thanh Market is situated in the center of Ho Chi Minh in Ben Thanh Ward,
District 1 District 1 may refer to:
* I District, Turku, in Finland
* District 1, Düsseldorf, a district in Düsseldorf, Germany
* Sector 1 (Bucharest), also known as District 1, in Bucharest, Romania
* District I, Budapest in Budapest, Hungary
* District ...
. The market is located on an intersection of four busy streets. The main entrance or Southside is on Le Loi street/Quach Thi Trang roundabout, the Northside on Le Thanh Ton, the Eastside on Phan Boi Chau and the Westside on Phan Chau Trinh.
The market was originally structured to be near the Saigon River. As a former wet market, the surrounding canals offered the convenience for boats to pick up and drop off items for trade. After being relocated in 1912 near the My Tho railway station (currently the Saigon bus station, the market possesses one of the most optimal locations in District 1.
About the Market
Day Market
Four main market gateways also serve as a directory for its customers. Each gate has a designated area to sell specialty items. For example, the southern gate is divided among garments, textiles, and clothing along with shoes, jewelry, and cosmetic products. The Northern gate is where people can find a variety of fresh fruits, fish and poultry. This is also where the food vendors are set up to sell common Vietnamese dishes like
pho
Phở or pho (, , ; ) is a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles (), herbs, and meat (usually beef (), sometimes chicken ()). Phở is a popular food in Vietnam where it is served in households, street stalls and restaurants co ...
, broken rice,
bun bo hue
A bun is a type of bread roll, typically filled with savory fillings (for example hamburger). A bun may also refer to a sweet cake in certain parts of the world. Though they come in many shapes and sizes, buns are most commonly round, and are g ...
,
bun thit nuong
A bun is a type of bread roll, typically filled with savory fillings (for example hamburger). A bun may also refer to a sweet cake in certain parts of the world. Though they come in many shapes and sizes, buns are most commonly round, and are g ...
,
banh beo, grilled seafood and desserts. The Eastside also offers edible goods that are packaged such as dried seafood and poultry, roasted peanuts, candied fruit, coffee beans, tea, fish sauce, herbs, and spices. On the opposite side, the Western gate offers predominantly arts and ceramics.
Night Market
Ben Thanh Market is also very lively at night. At 6 pm
UTC+07.00, vendors set up brightly lit stalls on two sides of the big streets Phan Boi Chau and Phan Chu Trinh. The stalls offer similar items to the day market but with a greater emphasis on food. Some street stalls expand into sit down restaurants offering tables and seats. Many locals gather to the area after work and it's also suitable for tourist as they offer western-style menus in English.
History
![Chợ_Bến_Thành_mới](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Saigon_-_Place_du_march%C3%A9_central.jpg)
The market developed from informal markets created by early 17th-century street vendors gathering together near the
Saigon River
The Saigon River ( vi, Sông Sài Gòn) is a river located in southern Vietnam that rises near Phum Daung in southeastern Cambodia, flows south and south-southeast for about and empties into the Soài Rạp, which in its turn empties into th ...
. The market was formally established by the French colonial powers after taking over the Gia Định citadel in 1859 (see
Citadel of Saigon
The Citadel of Saigon ( vi, Thành Sài Gòn ) also known as the Citadel of Gia Định ( vi, Thành Gia Định ) was a late 18th-century fortress that stood in Saigon (also known in the 19th century as Gia Định, now Ho Chi Minh City), Vietna ...
). This market was destroyed by fire in 1870 and rebuilt to become Saigon's largest market. In 1912 the market was moved to a new building and called the New Bến Thành Market to distinguish over its predecessor. The building was renovated in 1985.
The original market started out in the early 17th century as an informal wet market founded by local street vendors. When the neighboring
Gia Dinh citadel was overthrown by
French imperialists in 1859, the market was properly constructed and declared a formal establishment along French Colonial lines. The original structure included a wooden thatched roof which would later be destroyed by fire in 1870 was rebuilt to become called "Les Halles Centrales".
In 1912, the market was moved into the building people are familiar with today, using fireproof metal structure to become the largest and most central of the markets in the city. When all the vendors moved into the new market building the old building was not demolished but instead transitioned to a wholesale market known as the Old Market or Chợ Cu. As for the new market, the name changed to Ben Thanh Market to be distinguished from its predecessor. The name Ben Thanh derives from the words "harbor" (Ben) and "citadel" (Thanh).
In 1985 the new market went under major renovations to keep up with the city's progress of a modern blend. Despite many restorations over time, the market remains one of the earliest and most iconic surviving structures of Saigon.
Architecture
Ben Thanh market has a total area of 13,056 m². The 100-year-old building has a unique
Indochina
Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...
design that stands out among the modern and contemporary buildings around Saigon center. Throughout the years, the market underwent major renovations to both the exterior and interior but the overall architecture remained with its iconic clock tower in the foreground.
Since the building was constructed around the time of the French Colonial Era, the building holds strong French influence. Khuong Van Muoi, President of the city Architects’ Association, said the build adopted some of its unique features from French architects. He mentions the orientation of the building and banners along the roof that extends over the market to provide shade. These designs were integrated specifically for natural air-conditioning.
Transportation
![Đường_Trần_Hưng_Đạo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/%C4%90%C6%B0%E1%BB%9Dng_Tr%E1%BA%A7n_H%C6%B0ng_%C4%90%E1%BA%A1o.JPG)
The
Tan Son Nhat International Airport
Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport ( vi, Sân bay quốc tế Tân Sơn Nhất or Cảng hàng không quốc tế Tân Sơn Nhất) is the busiest airport in Vietnam with 32.5 million passengers in 2016 and 38.5 million passengers in 2018 ...
is located within the city limits and only 7 kilometers from the market. From
Tan Son Nhat International Airport
Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport ( vi, Sân bay quốc tế Tân Sơn Nhất or Cảng hàng không quốc tế Tân Sơn Nhất) is the busiest airport in Vietnam with 32.5 million passengers in 2016 and 38.5 million passengers in 2018 ...
, the market can be easily accessed by taxis (Vinasun/Mai Linh),
Grab, motorbike, bike, or bus. Directly across from Ben Thanh Market is the Saigon bus station.
Apart from being a major hub for the network of city buses serving
Hồ Chí Minh City
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
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,
Ben Thanh Station will be a hub for several lines of the planned
Hồ Chí Minh City Metro;
Line 1 Line 1 or 1 line may refer to:
Public transport Africa
* Line 1 (Algiers Metro), Algeria
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Asia China
* Line 1 (Beijing Subway)
* Line 1 (Changchun Rail Transit)
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* L ...
, under construction, will connect the market with
Suối Tiên Park and
Long Binh in District 9.
Other lines will connect Bến Thành with Tham Luong in District 12,
and with
Cholon and Binh Tan District.
References
External links
Ben Thanh Market on google maps
Retail markets in Ho Chi Minh City
Clock towers in Vietnam
Buildings and structures completed in 1912
1912 establishments in Vietnam
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