Markets Around Saigon
Dan Sinh Market - The Army Surplus Market
Saigon is filled with markets, and even if you do not need to do any shopping, markets are a great place to visit to get a sense and a feel for the Vietnamese way of life.
This is because all Vietnamese visit markets to do their shopping, and everyday markets in Vietnam come alive with the noise of throngs of people bargaining and chatting, and with the smells of freshly grown produce.
Most interesting of all though, is that markets in Vietnam come alive with the sights, sounds and smells of all that is different from the Western shopping experience.
Where else in the world could you find a market devoted almost entirely to the sale of military relics and army surplus?
Located just a short walk from Pham Ngu Lao on Yersin Street, Dan Sinh Market specializes in selling war surplus and military style clothing and items.
At Dan Sinh Market you can find anything that you might possibly need for a weekend family camping trip or a burgeoning private army.
Whether you need a gas mask, stretcher, canteen, duffel bag or the all important flack jacket, Dan Sinh Market is likely to stock it.
For this reason whenever my friends visit Vietnam they always love looking around this market, checking out the old relics and the military style equipment that is on sale, sifting through the rows of black boots and the masses of green drab colored shirts and trousers for some piece of oddity.
And Dan Sinh market is full of little oddities, whether it is the odd gas mask hidden in the corner, or the fully dressed mannequin in full 1960s Soviet flight suit and helmet.
In this way looking around Dan Sinh market is a bit like being an archeologist. You never know what you will find, and you have to search the market thoroughly searching through cabinets or piles military items to see what is actually there.
Dan Sinh Market is also where you can go to buy souvenirs from the Vietnam/American War. Many of the shops have cabinets socked with rusty old lighters and dog tags, as well as helmets and other such equipment.
The Vietnamese do not see the Vietnam American War in the same way as foreigners.
They have realized that the War plays a large part in how many foreigners see Vietnam, and that money can be made from this. This has led some to make fake items, and a number of the war relics like the Zippo lighters are often fake.
Not all the items are fake though, and even so it is still a lot of fun rummaging around the various stalls to see what you can find.
104 Yersin, Dist 1
Honorable Mentions
Binh Tay (Cholon) Market (Click here to read more)
The biggest market in all Saigon, Binh Tay Market is located in a beautiful old building in the Cholon area.
Indeed it is worth visiting Binh Tay Market for the building alone, but if you are shopping, you can buy anything you might ever possibly need for your house at Binh Tay Market.
An Dong is a huge four story market that I consider particularly good if you are looking for cheap clothes.
The first two floors are taken up with food, but the next two floors are filled with little shops selling a huge range of jeans, t-shirts and shoes. This market is a shoe or clothes shoppers dream!
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