Initially born in rural areas flea markets, or chợ phiên in Vietnamese, have recently become the latest wrinkle in Ho Chi Minh City, offering a broad array of products at reasonable prices and adding diversity to the already vibrant metropolis.

Chợ phiên in Vietnam are unique and different from elsewhere because a chợ phiên is open for a couple of hours during the day in a certain public place and only takes place periodically.

However, most flea markets in Ho Chi Minh City are open from the morning until late at night on weekends.

In the countryside, a chợ phiên is also a meeting place for locals to exchange farming products.

In Ho Chi Minh City, such a flea market sells all kinds of goods like any market but keeps its periodical characteristics – only gathering once a week or twice a month.

More and more flea markets have opened in the city in recent years and visiting them is a favorite hobby of young people.

A flea market in the city displays and sells different goods such as souvenirs, food, shoes, cosmetics, clothes, handbags, ceramics and anything else a city dweller needs.

A young woman named Thanh Thuy said, “I prefer chợ phiên in Saigon [the former name of Ho Chi Minh City] because it doesn’t take time to go from one street to another to buy two items.

“Instead of going to streets like Le Van Sy and Cach Mang Thang Tam to buy clothes and Ly Chinh Thang to buy shoes, I just come to this flea market to have it all.”

Her friend added she sometimes does not know what to buy and tours the chợ phiên to relax in lieu of riding around the city.

“Before, I enjoyed going to flea markets in Europe. Now, Saigon has similar flea markets with an abundance of goods,” a woman named Lien said, adding that the market days of a chợ phiên reflect the busy rhythm of life in the city.

One flea market, Hello Weekend, is located on Dinh Tien Hoang Street in District 1 and open at 9:00 am on Saturday.

This district has other flea markets such as Sale4Share at the Galaxy Nguyen Du cinema on Nguyen Du Street and another at Ben Thanh Theater on Mac Dinh Chi Street.

1Spot is another choice, which is situated in front of the Victory Hotel at the intersection of Nam Ky Khoi Nghia and Vo Van Tan Streets in District 3.

Phu Nhuan District has Sale Hunter, gathered on two floors of a building on Ho Van Hue Street.

The Saigon Flea Market on Ton Dat Tien Street in District 7 is considered the most ‘Western’ since many of its clients are foreigners living in the area.

Excluding the flea markets on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City which began decades ago, the Saigon Flea Market is considered the oldest, as it was opened in 2011 by Doan Thu Hang, 26, who once studied in Australia.

3 Tư is another chợ phiên, held in block A of the Harmona Building at 33 Truong Cong Dinh Street in Tan Binh District. 3 Tư is the Vietnamese transcription of “Persia,” and it offers items typical of the Middle East.

Each chợ phiên has anywhere from 10 to 80 stalls. Each stall is actually a large table rented from the organizers, and the owners of stalls at chợ phiên in Ho Chi Minh City are often those running online shops.

Nguyen Nhat Khanh, 28, who opened the 1Spot flea market, said, “This is not only a shopping place but also a venue for office workers to rest and have lunch during their break.”

The prices of goods at chợ phiên range from VND30,000 (US$1.5) to hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese dong.

Besides the Ben Thanh night market in the center of the city, the newly-emerging flea markets have added new venues for young people to entertain themselves and go shopping, especially at night. 

To sell goods, one must hire a table for a stall and display products on it at a cost of VND500,000 ($24) to 800,000 ($38) per market session.

Hang, the operator of the Saigon Flea Market, said, “I missed flea markets in my hometown in Hung Yen Province in the north. I visited some flea markets in Australia and nurtured an idea to run a similar one on returning to Vietnam.

“My market is open every first Sunday of the month,” she added.

The emergence of flea markets in Ho Chi Minh City has added new ‘color’ to the retail market in Vietnam, and is creating opportunities for students and fresh university graduates to practice their business skills and explore their own potential in a city of ten million people, thanks to the cheap investment it takes to operate a stall.

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