Ben Thanh Market is a vast marketplace in Ho Chi Minh City’s downtown district. It holds the distinction of being one of the oldest remaining buildings in Saigon, and has come to be regarded as one of the city’s iconic symbols. The market provides everything required for the day to day life of the locals, including foods and foodstuff, candies and cakes, consumer goods and above all quality vegetables and fruits. The market is equally popular with foreign visitors who come here in search of exotic products and bargains.
The goods on sale are displayed in eye-catching arrangements that never fail to draw the attention of the visitor. No less than four gates provide easy access to the market, an immense covered area that always rewards the curious visitor.
A particularly well known commodity is the Vietnamese coffee, which many consider to be delicious. If you buy a reasonable quantity you will often receive a couple of coffee filters free of charge. A point to keep in mind is that the stalls in the interior of the compound feature lower prices than the stalls on the outside.
The origins of Ben Thanh Market stretch back to the early 17th century when street merchants gathered together to display their merchandise close to the SaigonRiver. When France took over the Gia Dinh fortress in the year 1859 the marketplace was officially created. After extensive damage by fire in 1870, the market was reconstructed as Saigon’s principal marketplace. The market was shifted to new premises in 1912 and renamed the New Ben Thanh Market to differentiate it from its precursor. In 1985 the market was given a major refurbishment.
The site of the New Ben Thanh Market in the city’s centre was once a swamp called Bo Ret. At the time of French administration, the locality surrounding Ben Thanh Market was known as Cuniac Circle, after Cuniac, the person who instigated the filling of the swampland. The area is now known as Cong Truong Dien Hong.
