Cholon: A Guide to Saigon’s Historic Chinatown

Cholon is the largest and oldest Chinatown in Vietnam, a dense, aromatic world of temples, covered markets and Cantonese-Vietnamese food layered over centuries of heritage. A few kilometres west of District 1, it feels like a city within the city: incense smoke curling under temple roofs, herbal shops perfuming whole streets, and a vast wholesale market at its heart. Give it a morning or a full day and it rewards you richly. Here is what to see, where to start, and how to walk it well.

At a glance. Cholon Chinatown sits mainly in District 5, about four to six kilometres west of District 1, roughly fifteen to twenty minutes by car outside peak traffic. Highlights: Bình Tây Market, the Bà Thiên Hậu Temple (dating to around 1760), the Hải Thượng Lãn Ông herbal-medicine street and the historic Cha Tâm Church. Best in the morning; allow a half to a full day.

Why visit Cholon

Cholon, meaning “big market”, grew from a settlement of Chinese traders into the beating commercial heart of old Saigon, and it still carries that history in its temples, assembly halls and markets. It is the most atmospheric neighborhood in the city for anyone who loves heritage, ritual and food, and it feels a world away from the polished centre.

The pleasure of Cholon is as much in the in-between moments as the landmarks: the herbal shops, the metalworkers, the lantern makers and the daily trade that fills its narrow streets. Come to wander, not just to tick off sights.

Bình Tây Market

Most visits begin at Bình Tây Market, the grand wholesale market that anchors Cholon. Built around a central courtyard, it is a maze of stalls selling everything from dried goods and spices to household wares and handicrafts, busiest in the morning when the trade is at full tilt. Even if you buy nothing, it is worth walking through for the scale and the energy, and the food stalls around it are excellent for a mid-morning bite.

Temples: Thiên Hậu and the assembly halls

Cholon’s spiritual heart is the Bà Thiên Hậu Temple, dedicated to Mazu, the Chinese sea goddess, and dating to around 1760. Its roofs are crowded with intricate ceramic figures, and the air inside is thick with the smoke of hanging incense coils. It is the most famous of a cluster of temples and assembly halls that sit within a few blocks of each other, so you can visit several on foot. The Bà Thiên Hậu festival, on the 23rd day of the third lunar month, is the liveliest time to come.

The Hải Thượng Lãn Ông herbal street

One of Cholon’s most distinctive experiences is its traditional-medicine quarter. The streets around Hải Thượng Lãn Ông form the oldest and largest area for herbal medicine in the city, lined with shops whose open sacks and drawers of dried herbs, roots and bark scent the whole block. Even without buying, it is a wonderful, sensory walk and a window into a living tradition.

Cha Tâm Church and a piece of history

For a different layer of the past, the Cha Tâm Church, built in the early twentieth century, is where South Vietnamese president Ngô Đình Diệm took refuge and was captured in November 1963, one of the pivotal moments in the lead-up to the Vietnam War. The church, named after the priest known as Cha Tâm, remains a quiet, working place of worship and a poignant stop on any Cholon itinerary.

Eating in Cholon

Cholon is one of the best places in the city to eat Chinese-Vietnamese food. Look for dim sum and roast meats, hand-pulled noodles, hủ tiếu and herbal soups, and the sweet dessert soups the district is known for. Much of the best eating is at humble street stalls and old family shops rather than restaurants, so follow the crowds and eat where the locals do.

A walking route and how to get there

From District 1, Cholon is a fifteen to twenty minute ride-hailing trip west. A classic route starts at Bình Tây Market and walks toward the Bà Thiên Hậu Temple, taking in the assembly halls, the herbal street and Cha Tâm Church along the way, with the in-between lanes as much of the pleasure as the stops. Go in the morning while the market and temples are liveliest and the heat is gentler. It fits naturally alongside the rest of our Saigon neighborhoods guide.

Frequently asked questions

A central base for a day in old Saigon

The Myst Đồng Khởi is a 108-room boutique heritage hotel in the heart of District 1, an easy ride-hailing trip from Cholon and its temples and markets. Inducted into the Michelin Guide Hotels and Stays selection and named 2025 World Luxury Hotel Awards Country Winner for Vietnam, it is a calm place to return to after a day in the oldest, most atmospheric corner of the city.

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