(VOVworld) - Ben Thanh Market, with its famous clock on the facade of the southern gate, is an architectural symbol of Ho Chi Minh City. It is a must-see for all tourists to the city, both Vietnamese and foreigners.
Located in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, Ben Thanh market is the largest and busiest in the southern megalopolis. Ha Minh Hong, Professor of history at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities of Ho Chi Minh City, says:"In the early 19th century, Ben Thanh market was on the bank of Ben Nghe river. Because the market is located near a pier which means Ben in Vietnamese and a citadel or Thanh in Vietnamese, it is called Ben Thanh”.
At that time, the market was built from wooden walls with a thatched roof. It was in a prosperous area along the bank of the river. In 1859, when French troops invaded Gia Dinh, the market was completely destroyed. The following year, the French built on this place a market with houses with solid walls and brick roofs.
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In 1912, the French wanted to choose a new place to build a market to meet the demands of the city’s development. They chose a place near the My Tho railway station, which is now Saigon Bus Station and a new market was built on this site. It was inaugurated in March 1914, and renamed Ben Thanh. In 1985, Ben Thanh Market underwent a major restoration: the roof, the stands and stalls were renovated. Only the southern gate clock tower remained intact. Today, the market covers more than 13,000 m² and has 4 main gates: the southern gate overlooks the Quach Thi Trang Park, the eastern gate overlooks Phan Boi Chau Street; the northern gate overlooks Le Thanh Ton avenue and the western gate leads to Phan Chu Trinh street.
The more than 100-year old Ben Thanh market is an important architectural symbol of Ho Chi Minh City. Khuong Van Muoi is an architect:"The market is a unique architectural site. The clock tower reminds everyone of Ho Chi Minh City. It is surrounded by concrete awnings designed to protect against the weather. This is original architecture ideally suited to the tropical climate here”.
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In the clock tower of the southern gate, there is a small temple where market traders come every day to pray for luck. Inside the market, there are approximately 1,500 stalls which offer products of all kinds ranging from consumer products to luxury products through to the specialties of areas surrounding Ho Chi Minh City. This market brings together 6,000 traders and receives some 10,000 tourists a year.