The over 70-year-old An Market is one of the hustle and hustle markets in Ho Chi Minh City. It is a few kilometers from District 1 – the city center so that this is a favorite shopping place for tourists. An Dong is known as the biggest wholesale market selling clothes and accessories to vendors in Southern and Central provinces. Reasonable prices and less crowded with tourists, impressive and unique architecture are highlights of An Dong market.
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General information of An Dong Market
Location: 34 – 36 An Duong Vuong Street, Ward 9, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Google Maps
Opening hours: 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Some shops open later than 6:00 AM and some shops close until 10:00 PM
Vendors: about 4000; Kiosks (stores, shops, stalls): about 2700.
How to get to An Dong Market?
An Dong Market is only 4 km from Ben Thanh Market, 3.5 km from Saigon Backpacker Area so that you can take a bus or taxi to this market easily. Bus fare costs 6,000 VND, taxi fare costs about 15,000 VND/km. You can take a bus at Ben Thanh Bus Station or 23/9 Park Bus Station.
Visitors can takes taxis to An Dong Market, prices are about 15,000 VND/km. Mai Linh and Vinasun are good taxis in Ho Chi Minh City
History of An Dong Market
The old market was built in 1951, the recent market which is stronger and fortified was built in 1991. The market crosses approximately 1,500 billions of VND every year. An Dong is one of the first markets implementing quality management system ISO 9001-2000 in Vietnam.
Architecture of An Dong Market
An Dong Market has a unique architecture, it comes in a rectangular prism shape and white color which has turned into gray color. It has a concrete grid facade with 306 cells which protect the building from the sun and rain, make it airy and look great. The building has a basement, ground floor, first and second floor.
Rectangular prism An Dong Market with more than 300 cells and a huge square clock on facade, the building has 1 basement and 3 floors
The huge Gimiko square clock in a light red frame on the facade of An Dong Market
The over 50-year-old building of An Dong market looks majestic under the sun
On Ho Chi Minh City Shopping Tour by Motorbike, Tracy’s team does not take you to shopping centers and markets for tourists but less-known shopping places where you can buy souvenirs, foods, clothes, accessories and others.
What is inside An Dong Market?
As mentioned above An Dong Market has a basement, ground floor, first and second floor. On the basement, they sell utensils and plastic products, dried foods, jewelry shops and food areas. On the other floors, they sell clothes and accessories, fabric, souvenirs, artificial flowers, decoration items.
The food area is a highlight of An Dong Market because it looks clean and tidy. The smell of foods from tens of food stall serving more than hundreds of Vietnamese foods can make visitors feel hungry. Do not hesitate to grab some food on your trip to the market. Rice noodle soups help to warm your stomach and boost your energy. Most of the Vietnamese noodle soups consists of boiling rich broth, meat and chicken toppings, vegetables and eaten with dipping sauce, lime juice. Rice dishes are good choices, you can choose steamed rice with main dishes, stir-fried and soup. A portion of the famous Broken rice with Grilled pork is a perfect way to enjoy your day. A portion of food costs from 40,000 VND.
Food stalls selling Vietnamese dishes including Steamed rice with Boiled chicken, Stir-fried beef and onions, Fried chicken, Stir-fried squid, Braised snakehead, Broken rice with grilled pork, Egg meatloaf, pork skin strips on the basement of An Dong Market
The second biggest part of An Dong Market is perhaps jewelry because it has dozens of jewelry stores in the market, in front of the market and on An Duong Vuong Street. At these shops, you can exchange money at good prices which is higher than in banks.
Food area and jewelry stores on the basement of An Dong Market
Dried food are abundant on the basement of An Dong Market: salanganes’ nests, Pia cakes, dried shrimps, dried fruits and vegetables (jack fruits, sweet potatoes, coconut meat, carrots, lotus seeds), candies, dried pork intestines, coffee beans, ground roasted beans
There are many stores selling dried foods including bird nests, dried fruits (mangoes, jack fruits, plums, banana), dried lotus seeds, dried mustard greens, dried squid, dried beef, chicken, pork. Different kinds of coffee, tea and nuts are abundant in the basement of the building.
The biggest part of the market are clothes and accessories including watches, luggage, bags, shoes, hats, scarfs, etc. They are sold at retails and wholesale. Most of them are made in Vietnam, China, Thai, Taiwan, Korea. Vendors always keep updated about the latest fashion trends. Customers have countless choices at shops in An Dong.
Ready-to-wear coats, Ao Dai, trousers, T-shirts, pants, blouses, shirts at different prices are abundant at An Dong Market; if you do well, you can own lots of good items at cheap prices.
Leather shoes and slippers An Dong Market
Fabrics for making Ao Dai, suits, trousers, brocade bags, cosmetics including perfumes, face creams, shower creams, shampoo
Some stores sells jackets and coats at An Dong Market
Although there are some stores selling fabrics, An Dong does not specialize in fabrics. Tan Binh and Tan Dinh are 2 good markets to buy fabrics. A few stores sell souvenirs and decoration items. There are not as many souvenirs as in Ben Thanh Market.
A souvenir stores in An Dong Market, there are hundreds of choices including fans, Dong Ho, lacquered paintings, lacquered boxes, bowls, combs, brocade and sedge bags, small statues and magnets of Vietnamese girls and boys in Ao Dai, magnets in different shapes
Plastic products such as square, rectangular, round baskets, toothbrush holders, toothpick holders, scissors, etc.
Ceramic cups, mugs, teapots, incense burners
Activities at An Dong Market
The paths between shops are narrow and they are usually full of customers. The market is always crowded and noisy. Vendors from South and Central Vietnam come to choose clothes and accessories, deal good prices, then order tons of items that will be transferred to their shops. You can see a large number of items packed in carton boxes, plastic bags or sacks put around the market. Porters stand, sit, eat, drink and carry goods from shops to trucks.
Every day, the market attracts thousands of locals, visitors, foreigners to buy goods at retail because it is not very far from the city center and prices are good. The following are some essential information about shopping and tips to shop at An Dong Market.
Porters carry packages into stores An Dong Market
Clothes and accessories are packed in plastic bags, arranged in metal storage shelves with rollers
Shopping at An Dong Market
Vendors do not speak English like in Ben Thanh Market.
Bargain is a must, even there are fixed prices.
The more you buy, the lower the total cost is. It is easier to deal with vendors if you buy many items.
Walk around first for different choices and check the prices.
Learn how locals and other tourists buy items and the costs.
Do not let vendors know that you really want the items.
Walk away if they do not accept your deal. They can call you back after that. If they do not call you back, you know that the prices you offer are not reasonable.
Facilities
Parking area
The large parking area is for motorbikes, trucks, lorries, taxis, cars, vans and buses. An Dong is the only wholesale market that has large parking. Around Ben Thanh, Binh Tay, Tan Binh, Tan Dinh have no enough space for parking many vehicles including cars and trucks
Large parking area at An Dong Market
Money exchange and ATM
An Dong Market has ATM at which customers can withdraw money, most jewelry stores exchange currency
Staircases. escalators, air-conditioners
Some areas are kept cool with air-conditioners. There are both staircases and escalators in the building.
Escalators and areas with glass walls and air-conditioners at An Dong Market
What is around market?
Small drink and food stall
Workers, sellers and porters are poor so that they buy drinks and foods at small stalls around the market at cheap prices. Sugarcane juice stalls, drink stalls serving coffee, iced tea, soft drinks at about 15,000 VND. At fruit stalls, visitors can see many kinds of Vietnamese fruits including ready-to-eat pieces of peeled fruits.
A fruit stall sells star apples, tamarinds, durians, mangosteens, apples, oranges, mandarin, custard apples, dragon fruits
A local buys Coconut leaf cake from a street food vendor, a guard is responsible for the security outside the market
Flower stall sells daisy, orchids, lilies, gerberas, sunflowers
Shops in houses near the market
In houses around the market, they also sell clothes, accessories, foods and others. A few vendors arrange their goods right on pavements and alleys.
Houses around the market sell clothes, accessories, foods, drinks, utensils
Jewelry shops
As mentioned above, there are some jewelry shops on An Duong Street near the market.
There are dozens of jewelry stores around An Dong Market so that this market is also called the paradise of luxury jewelry
Green old trees
An Duong Vuong Street is lined with green old trees that protect passengers from the strong sun. Arriving in the market and standing under the shadow of these trees, visitors usually feel relaxing and like being in Saigon in the past.
An Duong Vuong street is full of green trees
Vietnamese sandwich shop at the opposite of the market
If you would like to eat a Vietnamese sandwich, you can go out of the market and buy a Banh mi at a long standing Banh mi shop. A bread filled with pork, beef roll, pork floss, cucumbers, pickles, corianders, soy sauce, pattee, costs 20,000 VND.
Vietnamse sandwich at Banh Mi Hong Phat in the opposite of the market is worth trying
An Dong Market is one of the best places to go shopping in Ho Chi Minh City. Clothes, accessories, jewelry and dried foods are recommended to buy at this wholesale and retail market. Visiting the market, buy items at cheap prices, tasting Vietnamese foods and learn more about local life are worth doing on your Ho Chi Minh City trip.
