Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Buy
Markets
Downtown area in District 1.
The Ben Thanh Market is recognisable from its clock tower on the large traffic circle. It is the largest old-style market in Ho Chi Minh City's central district, with several hundred small stalls stuffed with goods on almost impassably narrow aisles. Due to its popularity with tourists, the market is now divided between tourist goods (jeans, T-shirts, and smaller souvenirs in abundance) and regular items (kitchen wares, flowers, fruits and vegetables, rice, meat, fast food and other local foodstuff).
Ben Thanh Market by Shoestring
Night Market
Here you can enjoy many kinds of different foods and drinks, and go round to do your shopping as well. The night market opens from 6:00 p.m. when the Ben Thanh Market closes.
Saigon Square
Stones throw from Ben Thanh Market.
It is a twin of the Ben Thanh Market but with air-conditioning. Popular with middle-class Vietnamese and haggling your way through this place is the rule of thumb. Consider planning your shopping here during the day and go to Ben Thanh for the night market.
Binh Tay Market
Cholon (Chinatown), District 5.
The Binh Tay Market is the underrated twin of Ben Thanh, selling everything from spices, Chinese medicines, silk to obscure varieties of fermented fish, dried seafood and jerky. If you are searching for a variety of Vietnamese silk and velvet, skip the tourist trap at Ben Thanh and head to Bình Tay instead. In fact, many of the goods at Ben Thanh are from here. Most of the goods at Binh Tay are sold wholesale but you can still find items sold on retail here.
Binh Tay Market by Bgabel
Corner of Yersin and Nguyen Cong Tru, District 1.
Sometimes called the American Market or "Cho Cu" or "Khu Dan Sinh" in Vietnamese. The market is hidden behind rows of hardware and electric supplies shops, just brace yourself and enter. The market features dense warrens of stalls selling old American military gear of undetermined authenticity such as GI's Zippo lighter from the war era, cheap t-shirts and military paraphernalia. Most are fakes but what the heck!
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