Binh Tay Market, HCMC

The Binh Tay Market, a Saigon tour attraction, is the central market of ChoLon in district 5. Though it’s not in the center of town, ChoLon (which, in Vietnamese, means 'Big Market'), has long been the financial heart of the city.

 

The Binh Tay Market is an indoor wholesale market which is well known for its great bargains. For everything from fermented duck eggs to flip-flops, head to this rambling market that’s laid out like an Arab souk and far less touristy than the Ben Thanh Market downtown. Situated between Thap Muoi and Phan Van Khoe Streets, the market is divided into sections that contain everything one might need to run a household, from kitchenware, to cloth, to candied fruit. Toward the back, you can grab lunch at one of the many food stalls and listen to a rooster crow in the nearby butcher section (not for the squeamish). This is the Ho Chi Minh City’s Chinese quarter or Chinatown area so many traders are able to speak Cantonese or Mandarin.