What comes across your mind the first time you hear about Vietnam? Is it war, turmoil, rice land or what? Indeed, when my husband asked me to go to visit his best friend in Vietnam, the first thing I thought was a poor country often engaged in wars. Relatives and friends who heard that we were going to spend our honeymoon in Vietnam were surprised and advised us to be careful there. However, my husband had bought the tickets for two of us and after our visit to Singapore we continued our journey to Vietnam. Surprisingly, when we arrived at Ho Chi Minh’s international airport, Tan Son Nhat, we were amazed at the magnificent and modern structure of the airport. It was far from our imagination and impression about the country. I could say that the airport is more beautiful than the one in my country, Indonesia. Along the way out of the airport, we could not stop comparing Vietnam with our country. When we arrived at the exit gate, our friends were faithfully waiting for us. They welcomed us with warm smile and big hug. We then boarded the car heading to their house. Vietnam is a developing country that nowadays starts to flourish as one of the top tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. For the past 10 years, the economy in Vietnam has increased tremendously supported by foreign investments in the country. Pubs, bars, restaurants, luxury hotels were built up to accommodate tourists.
For the sake of clarity, I would first explain the alternative name of the Ho Chi Minh city to avoid any confusion. The city is also called Saigon by the locals because the present location of the city used to be a Khmer settlement. The name “Saigon” is a translation from the Khmer word “Prei Kor” meaning Kapok Tree forest. However, since the rule of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the government compelled the change of the city’s name from Saigon to Ho Chi Minh in remembrance of the famous national revolutionary hero, Ho Chi Minh. Nevertheless, the locals still prefer to use the name Saigon for the city and call themselves Saigonese. The name Saigon is still used in some of the streets’ name, the main city newspaper even the ticket code for the Tan Son Nhat international airport is SGN. No wonder visitors get confused.
As soon as we arrived in our friend’s house, we were served with delicious home-made Vietnamese cuisine cooked by her mom. All the foods were very tasty that we could not resist the temptation to add some more. At night, our friend took us to Ben Thanh Market.
Getting ready to go to experience the real Vietnam in Ben Thanh. We went there by motorcycle as the most popular transportation there is motorcycles. The streets in Vietnam are teemed with motorcycles so you really need to master the art of driving there. No trip to Ho Chi Minh city would be authentic without a visit to the city’s landmark that is well known for its madness and craziness, Ben Thanh Market. The market is situated at the downtown area of Ho Chi Minh city in District 1. As one of the earliest surviving structures in Saigon, the market has become the city’s emblem that draws local and foreign tourists. It sells everything the Saigonese wear, eat and use daily. So if you want to catch a glimpse of a real Vietnamese life, a visit to this market is a must. The market sells almost everything ranging from vegetables, meats, spices, sweets, tobacco, clothing, local handicrafts, textiles, souvenirs, local food, and many others. If you cannot find a certain item there, then you would not probably be able to find it elsewhere in the city.
Originally, the market was a wet market started by a group of vendors who gathered together nearby the Ben Nghe River in the early 17th century. Later it was formally built by the French in 1859 and known to French as Les Halles Centrales, but it was burnt down by fire in 1870. In 1912, The market was moved to a new building to distinguish it from the former one and in the same year it was renamed Ben Thanh. Then later in 1914, after finished with the reconstruction, the market was officially opened by the French. Sprawling over an area of 11,000 square meters, the market is designed in French architecture with a distinctive clock tower decorating its rooftop. The central cupola is 28 m in diameter. It has red roofs and is painted in cream. The building has a rectangular shape with an animal symbol at each access to the building. At the front door there is a cow symbol at the entry gate. The clock tower at the main entrance of the market is the symbol of the Ho Chi Minh City that also graces the national currency, and appears in many publications, movies, and online articles.
The market never falls asleep or rests for early in the morning it is packed with locals hunting for fresh foods or daily needs, while in the evening it is crowded with locals and tourists seeking the original adventure to the real Vietnamese society’s life. The morning market opens daily from 6 am to 6 pm and it is only closed on Lunar New Year. During the day, the stalls are all inside the market but starting from 6 pm, the market closes and the night market springs into action.
This is how the Ben Thanh night market looks like. There were innumerable stalls selling various items.
Tourists were buying the local snack
We also tried the Vietnamese local snack but I forgot its name. My husband who is fond of food was very delighted to see it =p .After that, we strolled around the market and took some photographs.
A photo of us with our friend’s husband. They treated us the snack and some drinks.
All along the stalls, you could hear the high-rising pitch of the vendors.
Some tips to haggle at the market:
1. Always and always bargain before you buy anything for the prices are sky-rocketed two to three times than the initial by the sellers. Especially if they know you are a foreigner, they would try to gain as much profit as possible from your pocket. So, be wise to say the price. You must haggle for at least half of the price given.
2. Do not be afraid to bargain. If you disagree with the original price, do not hesitate to laugh and walk away. You can be sure that the vendor will call you back and give you the price you want.
3. Do not be shocked if suddenly there is a seller grabbing your arm to drag you to her stall and ask for your mercy to “help” her buy her products. It is just one of the tricks they have. So do not be deceived.
I admit it was a bit hard for me to capture really good pictures without strangers as the background for the market has frenzy activities.
There are about 3000 stalls in the market 
Just across the market is a roundabout with a statue of a horseman.
The statue of a man riding a horse. My friend said it is a statue of a hero but she did not know the name.
We decided to visit the market another day because we wanted to capture the daylight view of the building. However, I did not take any photos of the morning market for the scene was basically the same with the night one. The distinctive clock tower is the symbol of the city. The Ben Thanh market is the largest indoor and the most popular market in the city. It is a one-stop shopping for all. It is also a good place to socialize with friends as you can enjoy the local cuisine accompanied by the buzz of the market. If you are bored with shopping in modern malls and want to seek a new shopping atmosphere and adventure, exploring this traditional Asian market would be exhilarating.
Source:
Personal experience and additional information from other online articles
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