Overview of Ben Thanh market (Photo: Ben Thanh market’s managing board) The renovation will include roof tiles, water supply and drainage systems,electricity, lighting and fire protection. Four main gates and kiosks will alsobe repaired.
An area of 45,800 square metres in front of the market, including Quach Thi TrangSquare, roads and sidewalks, will be rebuilt and upgraded.
The 157 billion VND (6.4 million USD) investment will come from the city’sbudget and private sources.
The renovation is scheduled to be completed before April 30, 2025.
Ben Thanh market began when street vendors gathered near the Ben Nghe River inthe early 17th century.
It was established by the French colonialists after they took over the Gia Dinh Citadel under the Nguyen Dynasty in 1859.
In 1912, the market was moved to a new building on more than13,000sq.m of land located on what are now the streets of Phan Boi Chau, PhanChu Trinh and Le Thanh Ton.
The market’s last renovation was in 1985. It has become one of thecity’s most attractive destinations for visitors.
It has more than 3,000 stalls, offering food, garments, footwearand handcrafts. Shops selling Vietnamese handicrafts and food, such as friedseafood, are popular with both foreign and local visitors.
Customers are free to bargain, but many vendors offer fixed prices.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the market normally attracted more than 7,000Vietnamese and foreign visitors a day on weekends and during the Christmas andNew Year holidays, according to Ngo Van Ha, head of the market’s managingboard.
The market’s shop owners are preparing for the Christmas and New Year holidays.Traditional Vietnamese silk and cotton clothing, handicrafts and foodstuffslike fried seafood, which can be stored for months, will be favoured byvisitors./.
VNA
