23/05/2023
Ben Thanh Market, the largest tourist center in ancient Indochina
Ben Thanh Market is now located in the center of District 1, in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, with a total area of 13,056 square meters. In, there are 5,276 square meters for business, 6,116m of walkways, and 1,664m of corridors, offices, and toilets.
The market operates from 4 to 19 pm (after that, there is a night market on both sides of the market). Every year, there are only lunch breaks on the 30th and 1st of the Tet Holiday, sold again at 4am on the 2nd of Tet. There is no resting when it comes to business!
When it first opened in 1914, Ben Thanh market had 400 stalls of agricultural products and food, mainly produced and sold by farmers. Today, the number of stalls of small businesses has reached nearly 1,500 stalls.
The small traders in Ben Thanh market today no longer carry the image of industrious, hard-working women like before, but are all real businessmen.
They are young, beautiful, fashionable, and especially speak foreign languages fluently, including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German... and even Cambodian.
The story of sellers speaking two or three foreign languages fluently is not new in the Ben Thanh market. According to an employee of the market management board, up to 80-90% of the sales staff of the stalls of clothing, cosmetics, brocade, souvenirs... can speak at least two foreign languages.
Therefore, Visitors can expect to encounter friendly and enthusiastic vendors who are eager to share their wares and culture with others. The market is a melting pot of different cultures, and visitors can expect to see a mix of traditional Vietnamese clothing and modern Western styles. Overall, the people at Ben Thanh Market contribute to the lively and vibrant atmosphere that makes it such a popular destination.
