Floating market in the heart of Saigon

Floating market in the heart of Saigon

Very few people know that there is still a floating market named Tran Van Kieu remaining in Saigon. The market helps keeping the beauty of a city of river area.

The floating market is situated on the Canal Tau Hu - Ben Nghe in district 6, Saigon. Before the East – West Highway was completed, the market was located at the pier/abutment of Lo Gom bridge on the Canal Tau Hu - Ben Nghe. However, since this most beautiful avenue of Ho Chi Minh City was put into operation, the floating market has been moved deeply into the narrow canal called Lo Gom. The trading activities on the boats are not as busy as it was used to.

Per chasing goods in the market are mainly kinds of fruits such as watermelon, pumpkin, grapefruit …ect, was taken from the west orchard through the Vam Co river to Saigon. The buyers are mostly shop men and the vendors/peddlers. As the boats are landed, the buyers will busily come to take goods and fruits will be delivered to many retail markets, fruit stalls, into every streets or alleyways of Saigon.

The market’s activities often takes place in the early morning from 4 Am  to 7 or 8 Am, sometimes in the afternoon when the water up, the boats are also gathered but with small quantities and of course the fruits are not as fresh as in the morning.

Normally, on the days reaching fullmoon, or first day of the lunar month, more boats are gathered in the markets, sometimes, the number of boats is up to 50 -60 ones. However, this floating market is more and more narrowed. Some of boat owners must move to smaller canals in faraway districts such as district 2,12, Cu Chi for trading. Many buyers fear that the rivers of Saigon no longer have rooms for such boats to gather.

Let’s visit the Floating market through some nice pictures, maybe this will be one of the final photos about the last floating market of Saigon.

One shop woman is moving bananas from boats to the small trolleys for retail trading.

 

A seller also gets up early to cook Hu Tieu (noodle soup ) for guests in the market.

The boats full of  fruit bags from the  west area.

Anchored the boat to the shore.

Selling for shopmen . 

Such nananas trolleys will appear on every streets of Saigon.

People gather on the riverside.

One of the boats in the market…

the pier of Lo Gom Bridge,at which people gather the market.