Along Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street

This is what you'd call the main drag in the Cholon area of District # 5. It's a street that appears endless, and filled with people and merchandise every which way you look. I present a collage of some of the photos taken that day so as to give you a true feeling of the bustle of the area. Everything and anything is happening, right down to the red traffic light.

It's also a shopper's haven, as you can find just about anything you might be looking. When we left the market, we started to walk around, and lo and behold, there was a jewelry store with watches. Though I cannot explain it, I can tell you that Chuck has an insatiable appetite for watches, and if he would wear all those that he purchased in the last thirteen or so years, they would go up his arm and around his neck, all the way down his other arm. But you know what they say about lemons, - and I sure made lemonade that day. I found the daintiest, sweetest pair of silver earrings with posts, and of course, in Saigon, they actually help you try them on, as you can see. We lingered in there for a long time, most likely because they had a fan in the shop.

For about US$10 (or 155,000 dong), we were able to get a 32 inch, red cloth suitcase with wheels which came in very handy. Of course, there is truth to the saying that you get what you pay for, and we only needed this valise to last until we returned to the states with our collection of treasures, so it served the purpose. Naturally, there will be higher quality goods if you need them, but then, don't come for them at Cho Bin Tay. I actually dragged this thing without minding too much, as I relished at the idea of all the things I could now remove from the hotel floor, closet, and plastic bags and just pack away.

Here's an interesting piece of trivia for you. Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street is known as "medicine street" in Saigon's Chinatown. We are not speaking of medicine in Western terms, but rather in Chinese traditional, where exotic scents and plants and barks are sold out of huge burlap sacks to cure whatever ails you. In the previous post on the indoor market, I did show some very exotic and saffron looking pieces of bark which are used for medicinal purposes.

Actually many of the very same mushrooms and dried bananas and other animal parts which are believed to have multi-purpose medicinal effects are found in our own Chinatown in New York. And also in the slightly larger San Francisco Chinatown. Some of those dried banana cakes showed up on our trip to the My Tho Fruit market. I can tell you that these mixtures worked for me when I was suffering with severe knee problems which had me on crutches for several months; the only drawback was the agonizing taste and horrible smell.

With all the activity and going about the business of life and trade, don't expect people to give you smiles and greet you as they might on Hai Ba Trung Street. The Cholonese are very busy people, and especially those that are in the indoor market, as competition is quite stiff.

What is also an interesting mix of old and not so old, are the ancient, crumbling shops on the lower levels and street levels, topped by the pastel colored, gaudy multiple story buildings. Here are a couple of examples:

the pink and yellow just don't make a very attractive combination

but there is always someone working on repairing, painting, patching or fixing

Here you get a better sense of the juxtaposition of the

shops and the colorful apartments that top them

This is a very typical dwelling: a balcony, laundry lines and always potted plants

Essential to Chinese life and tradition are the festivals and costumes which accompany them. Especially around Tet, the New Year Celebration, dressing up as a dragon is de rigueur. You will find all that is necessary here for the party.

There are lanterns that are covered with silk fabric and in the prerequisite red color; also for the New Year are the traditional master calligraphers along this street with their huge brushes with which they expertly spell out their goodwill messages.

Cholon is also home to several pagodas and temples which we did not have time to visit, but will look up on our next trip. And as will all Chinatowns, anywhere in the world, food is something to be samples and savored. As always, sport good walking shoes and stay hydrated.

Cho Binh Tay - Chinatown Market

Every city in the world most likely has its Chinatown. And Saigon is no exception. The character of the market is quite different than Cho Ben Thanh, but it is surrounded by some beautiful parks and architecture that beckons one to slow down from the seemingly endless madness and bustle one finds inside its perimeters.

Do a cab as it's faster and provides some relief from the heat, which can become unbearable. If you just say Cholon (the word means big market), they will immediately know what you are talking about. Cholon refers to the district where allegedly the world's largest "Chinatown" is found.

An estimated one million people live here, and have their shops and foods and all things ethnically Chinese. In sharp contrast with District 1 where we were staying, which has modern, high rise buildings, Cholon in District 5 provides a time warp that may take you back a few hundred years. Which makes it all the more exciting.

Let's go through the market and continue on outside where a sitting area is available, but the only people we saw sitting were children. The adults appear to have way too much to do to spend any of their time out here. But it's lovely and reminiscent of some of the topiary we had seen on the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok (albeit on a very very much smaller scale). All of the elements for harmony and balance are found; water, beautiful foliage, huge urns where joss sticks are burning continuously, as offering to the spirits, or to keep the evil spirits away. And for more protection, the requisite dragons are in full form, black stone and menacing.

All around the area, you will see pagodas, temples and monasteries built by the Chinese to accommodate the influx of their people into Vietnam. They have their own clan associations, which allow them to respond to their own cultural and religious needs.

An interesting bit of a trivia is that even though the Vietnamese have dubbed the area as Cholon, the Chinese refer to it as "ti-an", which means enbankment. Some of the temples and institutions which were built in the area date back to the French occupation, and others predate it.

When you've had enough fresh air, head back inside the market and start navigating the aisles. They have separated durable goods from consumables, which makes a lot of sense. There is also an upper level with more shops, that are in reality similar to stalls. Most have goods stacked to the ceiling, in certain cases very neatly, and in worst cases, very helter-skelter. The next few pictures will give you an idea of optimization of space. These people have mastered the art.

this is the upper level of the market seen from below

the market shows its age through one of the tiles in front of the hat displays

If I recall accurately, we did buy a suitcase here, after doing some price comparisons, which , are you will find are not necessary here. By our standards, most if not all prices are ridiculously low, and one tends to get caught up in the enormity of the number of dongs rather than their value. 150 thousand dongs is only US$10. Unfortunately, no matter how many times you do the math, you still get sticker shock. At one point, Chuck had a brilliant idea, and devised his own tables of dollars versus dongs. It did help us with the rest of the trip.

Cuisine is one of the most exciting things to sample, and it's no secret that the Chinese represent one of the three top world cuisines. The other two are French and Italian. At Ben Tay Market, you can not only browse the aisles for purchasing foods, but you can watch people cooking and eating whatever the day's menu brings. The colors and smells will transport you to another world. In some cases, I had absolutely no idea what was in front of me, but I was nevertheless mesmerized by the colors and sheer quantity of variety.

the only thing I can identify here are the scallion pancakes on the extreme right-yummy

they love chilies in this country, and it's the death of me.

of course, everything is absolutely fresh

If I had to guess, I'd say these were mushrooms

The colors here would make an artist drool; the middle pile looks like tiny shrimp

So now you have a preview of a small slice of life in Cholon. Don't wait too long before you visit.