Almost all countries in the world have migrated Chinese population living there such as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and many others. Wherever you go, you will always find Chinese people and the community they build that we often call “Chinatown.” Whether you fly to Europe or travel to Asia, the Chinese exist and they give significant contribution to the economy in that region. Vietnam is a country of no exception of strong Chinese cultural influence. Vietnam is the first country in Southeast Asia that received the largest number of Chinese migrants and the country with the strongest Chinese cultural influence due to the close distance to the Mainland China and the facts that Chinese Dynasty ever ruled in Northern Vietnam for over 1000 years. The next morning we went to the Chinatown of Saigon referred to as Cholon. In Vietnamese language, the city literally means big market (big (lon) and market (cho)). The Vietnamese exclusively call it Cholon, while the Chinese in that area name it Di An which means “embankment”.
Situated on the west bank of the Saigon River, Cholon is home to over 500,000 ethnic Chinese (Hoa) in the city and is the largest Chinatown in Vietnam or probably in the world. In the 18th century, there was a large number of Chinese migration from southwest China to Vietnam due to the transition period from Ming Dynasty to Qing Dynasty. Those who supported the old dynasty fled the persecution to the nearby Vietnam. However, to maintain a peaceful relationship with China, the Vietnamese government sent these emigrants to the southern part of the country, which at that time was scarcely populated. Since then, the Chinese settled down in Saigon and developed the area into a thriving trade city. Unfortunately, this peaceful situation did not last long for them. Once again they had to move from Saigon to Cholon because in 1778 the Tay Son forces retaliated against them due to their support for Nguyen Lords. As a result of this conflict, in 1782 the Chinese were massacred by the Tay Son. The Chinese community then built the embankments twice.
Cholon was originally part of Saigon in 1931, however in 1956 the name Cholon was dropped and only Saigon remained. During the French colonialism, the area was notorious for its opium dens and brothels. When Vietnam was engaged in wars with the United States, many American armies came here and opened black market selling various American army-issue items. Today, the Chinese population in Cholon is much fewer compared to the old times. This happened because when Communist took control over the city in 1975, there was a great massacre and persecution to the Chinese. The Chinese properties were badly plundered. Chinese schools and newspapers were closed down and banned. Therefore, between 1978 and 1989 over 700,000 Chinese refugees left Vietnam to save their lives. Nowadays, the Chinese population in Cholon support their lives by engaging in small business like shops, handicrafts, cafes and restaurants.
The epicenter of the district’s activities is Binh Tay Market. Built in 1928 in an area of 17,000 square meters, Binh Tay market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City. Though far less commercialized and less visited by tourists than its sibling Ben Thanh market, the market offers original Chinese ambience to its visitors. It was built by a Chinese businessman called Quach Dam or known as Thong Hiep who was previously very poor but gained big fortune that he used to build the market. Typically a Chinese-influenced market, it is a wholesale market on the edge of District 6 in Cholon that sells a vast array of products from food to clothing to daily necessities. You can notice the strong Chinese culture in this area through the existence of Chinese medicine shops and other stores selling Chinese religious ornaments. You can also hear Mandarin songs sung from home entertainment systems. Besides the market, other Chinese architecture can be seen in the temples and monasteries in that area. Due to the traditional and distinctive lifestyle of the Chinese community here, the site attracts many visitors from Taiwan and Mainland China.
The market is extremely packed with narrow aisles of over than 2,300 stalls. It is messy and overcrowded that I could hardly take out my camera to take photographs of the interior building. Though it is a Chinese market, the majority of the buyers are the local Vietnamese who have stores in other parts of the city and want to stock up their supply in bulks. The sound of bargaining here is in Chinese rather than Vietnamese. The ambience of the market really makes you feel like being in China.
The exterior of the building shows a unique fusion of Chinese and French architecture with serpentine dragon decorating the oriental roof on mustard-yellow walls and four-faces clock tower.
The market consists of two levels, however, we only explored the first floor. 
The market was very crowded and packed with stallholders and items being sold. The stalls in this market were well organized in sections. 
All items here are sold in bulks. Most of the items are imported from China. No wonder it is called Chinatown.
I did not take any photographs of the interior because it was too crowded and hot inside.Visiting local markets like Binh Tay is not unusual to me because I often visit similar Chinese-influenced markets in my country and others too. However, to some Western foreigners, this could be a fun activity that gives them deeper insights into the real life and culture of Asian people.
Source:
Personal experience and additional information from other online articles
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