Tan Dinh Market

No.336, Hai Ba Trung Street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1

Now Closed

Description

Tan Dinh Market is located at 48 Hai Ba Trung Street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1 at the intersection of Hai Ba Trung and Nguyen Huu Cau Streets. The market is located near the iconic 150-year-old pink Tan Dinh Church, which stands out in the neighborhood and makes it easy to navigate.

Similar to other markets, Tan Dinh Market provides a variety of commodities, including clothing, food, and jewelry. It would take around one hour to discover all of the shown items. However, you should see for yourself the things that have made this market so popular among residents. This includes Vietnamese cuisine and cloth.

There are fabric shops and wholesalers who trade diverse fabrics, such as those used to produce shirts and Ao dai. The designs on the cloth are varied, with motifs of Vietnamese farmers, rivers, and flowers predominating. But what should truly capture your attention is the color, which ranges from neutral to many vibrant hues. Due to the excellent quality and longstanding reputation of its fabric trade, the market is favored by many silk lovers, including tailors, cultural aficionados, and those looking to purchase fabric as gifts for loved ones.

As for the cuisine, there are several vendors selling popular dishes such as hu tieu (clear rice noodle soup) and sup cua (crab soup), as well as Vietnamese street food such as Banh mi, sea snails, and Che (Vietnamese sweet soup). Many companies have been passed down from generation to generation and have become not just this market’s hallmark foods, but also an integral part of the memories and childhoods of many people.

However, it should be noted that the costs are far higher than those of other marketplaces, so you should be able to negotiate to avoid being overcharged.

Tan Dinh Night market

The market is packed with mothers and grandmothers during the day, but at night it becomes a popular hangout for young people, particularly night owls. Every day in the late afternoon, food stalls and merchants on the streets around Tan Dinh market begin putting up tables, ovens, and raw materials in preparation for the arrival of diners. There is no established opening time. Typically, stores are open from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and shut after all ingredients are depleted, which might be around 10 p.m., 11 p.m., or even 3 a.m. the following day

On Nguyen Huu Cau street, frog porridge is the most renowned delicacy in the Tan Dinh night market. A basic serving consists of a small pot of frog stew and a bowl of white rice porridge. The frog is soft and tough, somewhat peppery and salty, whilst the rice porridge is sweet and sesame-scented.

Architecture of Tan Dinh Market

The preserved architecture reminds locals and visitors of ancient Saigon, the Pearl of the Far East. Similar to several notable French architectural structures in Saigon, such as the Saigon Central Post Office and Binh Tay Market, the Tan Dinh Market has been painted yellow.

It has four entrances on Hai Ba Trung, Nguyen Huu Cau, and Ma Lo Streets, as well as one on the north side of District 1 Hospital. The main entrance is located on Hai Ba Trung Street, whose facade was created exquisitely and gently in French old style. There are three bell towers in Tan Dinh Market, one in the center and two on the flanks. The bell in the towers rung daily at a certain hour. On the top of each pillar are flags of various colors, and in the centre of the central tower are two flags of Vietnam — a red flag with a gold star. The front has the name “Ch Tan nh” (Tan Dinh Market) and a large circular clock below the central tower.

History of Tan Dinh Market

Tan Dinh Market was also once Phu Hoa Market, which is reported to have been in Phu Hoa Hamlet since the 1880s. The market was brimming with local items and was usually bustling with customers and vendors. Due to the affluence of the locals, the market was known as the one for the wealthy. The French did not create the market until 1926, and they did so in just one year. People began to refer to it as Tan Dinh Market when Phu Hoa Hamlet and another hamlet were merged to become Tan Dinh Ward.