EXPLORE: Chơ Bén Thành Market [Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam]

In front of Chơ Bén Thành Market

In the central district of Ho Chi Minh City, near the tourist area, lies Chơ Bén Thành Market, a place where you can get cheap knock-off Gucci Bags to a traditional bowl of Pho Noodle Soup.  But, when making the round at the market, make sure your bargaining and haggling skills are sharpened to the max so that you can go home with good deals on your favorite items.  It is good to keep in mind that most, if not all, name brand items are not genuine but cheap knock-offs.  I saw a Ralph Lauren’s Polo logo stitched on an ugly stripped Pascal shirt.  The merchant claimed that it was the real thing.  Does Ralph know about this?  So even if you pay half the asking price for most items, you have been seriously been ripped off.  I would only consider paying 20 to 30 cents on the dollar for most items.  There is no need to get stressed out over haggling.  Worst come to worst, you can just simply walk away.  (This market reminds me of the indoor swap meets that my students in Los Angeles frequent on the weekends, filled with merchant and food stalls.  Similar markets, on a small scale, can be found near the corner of Slauson and Avalon in South Central Los Angeles.)

Inside Chơ Bén Thành Market

At sunset, the sidewalks adjacent to the market are closed to cars and transformed into a night bazaar where merchant stalls are filled with cheap consumer items that did not sell during the day and local restaurants serve authentic Vietnamese and other Asian cuisines.  The only nuance about this night bazaar is that motorcycle scooters are allow to pass through creating a dangerous atmosphere for those who’s eyes are fixated on the food rather then scooter traffic.  But, all in all, it was a good cultural experience.

My WOW Factor: 7/10