Binh Tay Market

Located in Chinatown (Cho Lon), Binh Tay Market is a bustling and historic market in Ho Chi Minh City. With a rich history dating back to the late 19th century, the market serves as a vibrant hub of commerce and cultural exchange. Inside its vibrant halls, you can explore a wide range of products including fresh produce, spices, textiles, handicrafts, and more, immersing yourselves in the vibrant atmosphere of this iconic market. The market was constructed by the French colonial administration to replace the older and smaller Cho Lon Market, which was destroyed in a fire. Binh Tay Market quickly became a thriving commercial center, serving as a vital trading hub for Chinese merchants and the local Vietnamese population. Over years, the market has witnessed significant transformations. However, it was rebuilt and continues to thrive today, attracting both locals and tourists alike. It remains an essential part of the city’s cultural heritage, offering a diverse array of products.

Ba Thien Hau Temple

This gorgeous 19th-century temple is dedicated to the goddess Thien Hau, and always attracts a mix of worshippers and visitors, who mingle beneath the large coils of incense suspended overhead. It is believed that Thien Hau can travel over the oceans on a mat and ride the clouds to save people in trouble on the high seas. There are intricate ceramic friezes above the roof line of the interior courtyard, while the protectors of the pagoda are said to be two land turtles that live here. Near the large braziers stand two miniature wooden structures in which a small figure of Thien Hau is paraded around nearby streets on the 23rd day of the third lunar month. On the main dais are three figures of Thien Hau, one behind the other, all flanked by two servants or guardians. To the right is a scale-model boat and on the far right is the Goddess Long Mau, Protector of Mothers and Newborns. Visiting this temple, you will have a chance to discover a part of local culture of an ethnic minority.