Photos: Saigon’s iconic Ben Thanh Market turns 100
Sunday, April 27, 2014, 17:07 GMT+7
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, on Saturday held a ceremony to mark the 100th founding anniversary of its iconic Ben Thanh Market.
The market developed from a wet market next to Saigon River created by street vendors in the early 17th century. It was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt to become Saigon’s largest market, called Les Halles Centrales, by the French in 1870.
In 1912, the market was moved to a new location and renamed Ben Thanh Market which was officially inaugurated in two years later.
The current 13.056m² market, renovated in 1985, is home to 3,000 traders selling various products and daily receives 15,000 visitors on average.
The market has witnessed a number of historical events taking place in Saigon and ups and downs of many generations of Saigonese. It is also known as a place for real Vietnamese food.
In January 2012, Food and Wine magazine, a monthly publication of American Express Publishing, listed Saigon in the top 10 of the world's best street food destinations and recommended global food-lovers to visit Ben Thanh Market where they can discover the beauty of Vietnamese cuisine and enjoy delicious dishes.
Ben Thanh Market was developed from a wet market which had existed before the French took over Gia Dinh (former name of Saigon – now Ho Chi Minh City). File photo of Tuoi Tre
Ben Thanh Market in 1960. File photo of Tuoi Tre
Ben Thanh Market in 1920 located near a roundabout named after French Lawyer Cuniac, who contributed to the development and urbanization of Saigon. Photo Courtesy of Ho Chi Minh City Police Department/Nguyen Dinh
“The thing I remember most is that when I was seven or eight, Chinese and Indian traders offered a variety of products at the market while Vietnamese ran food stalls in the middle area,” 84-year-old Ly Luoc Tam, a local researcher, recounted the days he went to the market with his father.
According to Tam, Ben Thanh Market used to serve as a transport hub including stations of buses, horse-drawn carriages, and trains in addition to being a market.
Nguyen Anh Kiet, another city resident, said that located at Ben Thanh Market used to be water morning glory fields in the past, the majority of which were possessed by his maternal grandfather.
“When the market was established, my grandfather’s family members were given many stalls in the place. My grandmother’s siblings ran businessese there from 1914 to 1944 when the Japanese troops dropped bombs.”
In the memory of the 60-year-old Kiet, Ben Thanh offered a wide range of luxury products to wealthy market-goers and was a major food supplier for restaurants and hotels operated by Indians and French in the old days.
“It was normal that she sold 1,000 dry coconuts to Indian restaurants per day at that time. Though my grandmother just worked six months per year during that period, she saved a big amount of gold,” Kiet said.
For tourists, Ben Thanh Market is a must-see. “I think all of those working in the tourism industry would like to bring tourists to Ben Thanh Market because it is one of Saigon’s icons,” said Pham Huu Minh, a tour guide of The He Tre [Young Generation] travel firm based in this southern city.
Dien Hong roundabout, which is now Quach Thi Trang roundabout, pictured prior to 1975. Photo collected by Pham Cong Luan
Ben Thanh Market in 1921. File photo of Tuoi Tre
A painting of Ben Thanh Market before 1952. File photo of Tuoi Tre
Ben Thanh Market in 1918, four years after its inauguration. File photo of Tuoi Tre
Ceramic patterns embossed on four gates of Ben Thanh Market which symbolize products sold inside each gate were designed and created by Vietnamese sculptor Le Van Mau (1st row, 1st left) in 1952. Photo of the ceramic patterns by Nguyen Dinh, file photos (black and white) of Nguyen Minh Anh
An aerial view of Ben Thanh Market today. Photo by Tuoi Tre
The colorful Ben Thanh Market on its 100th founding anniversary on April 26, 2014. Photo by Tuoi Tre
Traders performed “Ben Thanh Market” song, composed by a goods seller, during the 100th founding anniversary of Ben Thanh Market on April 26, 2014. Photo by Tuoi Tre
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Ben Thanh Market as introduced by Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor: TripAdvisor: Cho Ben Thanh [Ben Thanh Market] is one of the most interesting places in Ho Chi Minh City. Shopping is good here but bargaining is a must. One of the major interesting things you can find at Cho Ben Thanh is the food. Go here for “real Vietnamese food." Inside the market food section, there are many vendors and food stalls, most of them preparing food freshly made to order. In the evening, you must visit Cho Ben Thanh for dinner. Sidewalk restaurants serve real Vietnamese food with white table cloths and meals are good value and delicious. You can order all kinds of original Vietnamese food here, deep fried whole fish being one of the best selections on their menus! Make sure that you do not sit too deep into the tent, try to sit outside where it is cooler and more enjoyable. Lonely Planet: The most central of all the markets, teeming Ben Thanh and its surrounding streets comprise one of the city’s liveliest areas. Everything that’s commonly eaten, worn or used by the Saigonese is piled high: vegetables, dried fruit, meats, spices, scorpions in alcohol, sweets, tobacco, clothing, one-day suits, wristwatches, blingtastic jewellery, hardware and more spill forth from a profusion of stalls. Souvenir items can be found in equal abundance. Vendors are determined and prices usually higher than elsewhere, so bargain vigorously (although some stalls have 'Fixed Price' signs). |
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