Ben Thanh Market

Description

Ben Thanh Market or Cho Ben Thanh is one of the most popular shopping areas in the city and is also one of Ho Chi Minh City’s most recognizable landmarks. The building it is housed in was built in 1914 by the French and was named Les Halles Centrales. Its most famous feature is the massive clock tower on the outside of the building. The lively indoor market offers almost anything one might need; a variety of items ranging from fresh fruits and vegetables, spices and meats to household items, handicrafts, hardware and clothing, all of which must be bargained for. Ben Thanh Market is always busy but truly comes alive at night. Popular amongst locals and tourists as it offers a rich shopping experience, the market also has a variety of great food stalls.

Ticket Price

Not applicable

Opening Hour

Daily 7am-7pm

Recommended Visit Duration

Around 2 hours or more

Suitable For

Adults, senior visitors, young adults, families, children

Must See

The souvenir stalls and the fruit stalls

Prayer Facilities

Muslims visiting the Ben Thanh Market will not be able to find prayer facilities. Due to the city’s sizeable Muslim population, however, they will be able to locate quite a few mosques. Some of the mosques in Ho Chi Minh City include the Central Mosque, Cholon Mosque, Jamiul Islamiyah Mosque, Jamul An Ar Mosque, Al Rahman Mosque and Jamiyah Islamic Mosque.

Halal Food

As mentioned above, Ben Thanh Market is a great place for foodies. At night, food vendors set up stalls and serve a variety of delicious local dishes like noodles in flavorful broth. Muslim visitors may however not be able to locate any Halal food kiosks, which means they will have to make sure the dishes they do order or completely vegetarian or consist of only seafood.