District 5 Cholon: Saigon's Chinatown and Its Pagodas, Markets, and Dim Sum

Cholon — the name means 'big market' in Cantonese-inflected Vietnamese — has been Saigon's Chinese commercial hub for over three centuries. It sits about 5 km southwest of the city center in District 5, and it moves at a different rhythm from the tourist belt: noisier in the morning, quieter at noon, and entirely its own thing.

A bit of context

The Hoa (ethnic Chinese) community began settling in what is now Cholon in the early 18th century, many of them merchants and traders from Guangdong and Fujian provinces. They built clan associations, pagodas, and wholesale markets that still function today. The neighborhood was administratively merged with Saigon (사이공 / 西贡 / サイゴン) proper in 1956, but it has kept its distinct character — you'll see Chinese-language signage alongside Vietnamese, hear Cantonese spoken at the market, and find herbal medicine shops stacked floor-to-ceiling with dried roots and fungi that the owner knows by sight.

The three pagodas worth your time

Thien Hau Pagoda

On Nguyen Trai Street, Thien Hau is the most visited and most photogenic of Cholon's temples. It was built in the early 19th century by the Cantonese community and dedicated to Thien Hau, goddess of the sea and protector of sailors. The roof is crowded with ceramic figurine tableaux — miniature battles, processions, dragons — and the interior is perpetually hazy with coil incense hanging from the ceiling in slow-burning spirals. Arrive before 9 a.m. if you want it quieter.

Quan Am Pagoda

A few blocks away on Lao Tu Street, Quan Am is dedicated to the goddess of mercy. It's smaller and less famous than Thien Hau, which makes it feel more like an active place of worship and less like a destination. The tile work on the facade is worth stopping for.

Phuoc An Hoi Quan Pagoda

On Hung Vuong Boulevard, this is the Fujian community's pagoda — built in 1902 and dedicated to Quan Cong (Guan Yu). The woodcarving inside is exceptional: gilded panels, lacquered screens, and an altar arrangement that rewards slow looking. It gets fewer visitors than Thien Hau, so you'll often have whole sections to yourself.

Binh Tay Market

Binh Tay is Cholon's wholesale market and one of the largest in the south. The 1928 building — a yellow-tiled compound with a clock tower and tiered rooflines — was recently restored and is worth a walk-through for the architecture alone. The ground floor sells bulk dried goods: shrimp, mushrooms, star anise, chili, lotus seeds, everything in 10 kg bags. Retail buyers are welcome but you'll be in the minority. Go in the morning when it's at full volume.

Around the market's perimeter, look for the herbal medicine traders — rows of shops selling the kinds of ingredients you'd expect to find in a traditional Chinese pharmacy. Dried goji berries, astragalus root, chrysanthemum flowers, and dozens of things with no easy English translation. You don't need to buy anything; the visual density alone is worth the detour.

Photo by Vietnam Tri Duong Photographer on Pexels

Dim sum in Cholon

This is the main reason a lot of locals make the trip from other districts on weekend mornings. "Dim sum" (or diem tam as it's locally spelled) in Cholon is old-school Cantonese-style — steaming carts, formica tables, and maximum noise. A proper meal runs 80,000–150,000 VND per person.

Dim Sum Ca Phe [Pho](/posts/pho-vietnam (베트남 / 越南 / ベトナム)-noodle-soup-guide) Co on Trieu Quang Phuc is one of the longest-running spots — the har gow and cheung fun are reliable, the space is chaotic in the best way, and it fills up by 8 a.m. on Sundays.

Thien Phat on Ly Thuong Kiet handles volume well without losing quality on the basics: turnip cake, sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf, egg tarts. Come before 9 a.m. or expect a wait.

If you want something lighter before hitting the pagodas, there are congee (chao) stalls along Nguyen Trai that open around 6 a.m. A bowl with century egg and shredded pork costs around 35,000 VND.

A practical walking route

Start at Binh Tay Market (it's liveliest before 10 a.m.), then walk east on Phan Van Khoe to Phuoc An Hoi Quan Pagoda. Continue to Thien Hau on Nguyen Trai — it's about 700 m. From there, cut north on Luong Nhu Hoc through the wholesale paper-goods district (one of the more visually strange stretches of the city) to reach Quan Am Pagoda on Lao Tu. The full loop is around 2.5 km and takes two to three hours with stops.

For dim sum, Trieu Quang Phuc runs parallel to Nguyen Trai — if you're starting there for breakfast, you can fold the market and all three pagodas into a single morning.

Photo by Theodore Nguyen on Pexels

Getting there

From the Ben Thanh Market area, grab a Grab bike — it's about 15 minutes and will cost 30,000–45,000 VND. Bus line 1 runs from Ben Thanh to Cholon but adds time. Don't bother driving yourself unless you know the parking situation.

Practical notes

All three pagodas are free to enter; dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered). Binh Tay Market is open daily from around 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cholon is busiest and most atmospheric on weekend mornings — if you go on a weekday afternoon, some of the wholesale traders will be winding down.