A food market near a vast expanse of rice fields and an irrigation canal in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam reopened its doors to food enthusiasts on Wednesday afternoon, offering tasty dishes to the area’s foodies.

Hundreds of cars and motorbikes flocked to the food market on the day it reopened to sample local foods such as Vietnamese spring rolls, grilled pork, grilled corn, seafood, and Vietnamese pancakes from the 60 stalls there.

The reopening day also attracted YouTubers, Facebookers, and TikTokers who came to film or live-stream activities at the marketplace.

Authorities first opened the culinary market in An Nhut Commune of Long Dien District on the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, which ended on February 18, but later suspended its operations in order to set up extra parking space for cars.

The decision to suspend the marketplace came after visitors chose to park their cars along National Highway 55, creating a massive safety hazard. 

Apart from a car parking lot, authorities arranged additional trash bins and built fencing between the irrigation canal and the food street.

As a food vendor at the market, Nguyen Thi Thu Ha daily earns around VND300,000 (US$12) in net revenue by selling Vietnamese spring rolls.

The food market helped her make ends meet after she was laid off by a garment firm, Ha said.

Food lovers are not only able to sample delicious food at reasonable prices but also enjoy good vibes, beautiful sunsets, and ample fresh air at the market, one of the food market-goers elaborated.

Huynh Son Tuan, secretary of the Long Dien Party Committee, said local authorities decided to open the culinary market after visiting a similar venue in Dong Thap Province.

Hundreds of local households are on the waiting list to open stalls at the market, Nguyen Tuong Thanh, chairman of the An Nhut administration, said, adding that authorities would consider expanding the scale of the market in the upcoming time.

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