Binh Tay Market Ho Chi Minh City

The Binh Tay Market is an indoor wholesale market which is well known for its great bargains. The Binh Tay is located in Cholon in Hua Giang Boulevard and is ideal if you want to spend a day haggling over souvenirs.

The Bin Tay Market is the central market of Cho Lon district 6 in Ho Chi Minh City. The local Vietnamese residents refer to this market as Cho Lon while the ethnic Vietnamese-Chinese minority call it the New Market of Cho Lon. This is because the market Nguyen Trai Street in District 5 was the original “old market” After this was destroyed the so called “new market” was built.

Binh Tay Market is situated on Thap Muoi Street a bloc that borders Confucious Street to the North, and Hau Giang Street to the South, on the edge of District 6. Despite many upheavals especially in the form of wars over the years Binh Tay Market has remained an important centre of commerce for the local Vietnamese and Chinese. The Vietnamese farmers also come here from the rest of South Vietnam to trade their daily wares.

Binh Tay Market was built with a lot of investment from a Chinese businessman called Quach Dam (1863-1927).He was also know as Thong Hiep and was thus given the nickname of "Handicapped Thong" by the local Chinese.

Quach Dam was born amidst poverty and made his living by recycling garbage and other used material but later struck gold in other types of businesses. There was a life-like bronze statue of Thong Hiep in the center of the Binh Tay Market that was encircled by four bronze lions, and four bronze dragons. The dragons’ mouths form the opening for the fountain under which the statue of Thong was standing. The full size statue of Thong was replaced with a smaller glass-altar later, though the four bronze lions and dragons are still there.