Ben Thanh Market is located right at Quach Thi Trang Square, District 1 – the old dome building with a clock tower has become a symbol of the city for over a century. The market has 4 gates: East (main gate, facing the statue of Tran Nguyen Haan), West, South, North, each gate leads to a different shopping area.

I always recommend friends to enter through the North gate (Le Thanh Ton) – this is the "mini food street": fermented fish noodle soup, Hue beef noodle soup, Phnom Penh noodle soup, broken rice with pork chop, spring rolls, three-color dessert, avocado smoothie. Prices range from 45,000 – 80,000 VND/dish, served in small stalls close together. On Saturday afternoons, just walking through once you will know what you want to eat.

Inside the market, the central area sells fabrics, clothing, shoes; the outskirts have dried squid, dried shrimp, cashews, packaged coffee – a very reasonable gift. Especially don’t miss the Ben Thanh night market (outside the market, from 6 PM – 11 PM) with grilled seafood stalls, Vietnamese pancakes, mixed dessert. The atmosphere is noisy just like "Saigon at night".

Shopping tips: always negotiate 50% – 60% of the asking price. Bring cash in small denominations. Avoid going in from 11:30 AM – 1 PM when it’s hot and crowded. If you want a more relaxed experience, visit the market from 8 AM – 10 AM; in the evening after 7 PM is the busiest time for the night market.

Leaving the market with a bag of roasted salted cashews and a conical hat for my niece, I think: Ben Thanh is not a "must-see" because it is beautiful or cheap, but because here you can clearly feel the rhythm of trading, eating, and exchanging that has nourished Saigon for so many generations.

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