Things to do in Cholon

Cholon is the historic Chinatown spread across District 5 and District 6, and it reads as its own place rather than a westward continuation of District 1: a city built by Chinese immigration, with temples, guild halls and traditional pharmacies that follow a different rhythm from the centre.

The two anchors are Binh Tay Market, the district's covered wholesale market, and Thien Hau Temple, dedicated to the sea goddess and thick with incense coils hanging from the ceiling. Streets around both are lined with shops selling dried herbs, roots and other traditional-medicine ingredients, a trade that has continued here for generations.

For general orientation on Ho Chi Minh City, including how the centre and the river fit together, see the city's main page; treating Cholon as an extra block of District 1 misses what makes it distinct.