Cho Lon Chinatown: Binh Tay Market Hours and Visit Guide

Binh Tay Market is open 07:00 to 18:00. The Cho Lon night street in front of it runs from 18:00 to midnight every evening. Thien Hau Temple is free and open 06:30 to 16:30 daily, so see the temple first and the night street last.

By Vincent Nguyen

Binh Tay Market in Cho Lon, the Chinatown area of Ho Chi Minh City, opens at 07:00 and closes at 18:00. From 18:00 the night street sets up on the pavements in front of it every evening.

Binh Tay Market opening hours and the Cho Lon night street

Plan the day in that order: market at 07:00, temple before 16:30, then the night street from 18:00.

The Cho Lon night street

The night street operates from 18:00 to midnight every evening. It runs along the pavements of Nguyen Huu Than, Thap Muoi, Le Tan Ke and Tran Binh streets, in front of the market. It has 38 food businesses and a children’s play area.

Binh Tay Ward launched it officially on 24 April 2026, after a four-month trial. It averages about 800 visits a day.

What to see at Binh Tay Market and Thien Hau Temple

Binh Tay Market

Binh Tay Market is the largest market in Cho Lon. It was founded in the 1920s by Quach Dam, a wealthy Chinese businessman from Guangdong Province. In 2025 it marked 95 years since its founding. It has been a city-level architectural and artistic relic since 2017.

The market sells everything from foods, spices and kitchenware to traditional Chinese medicine and souvenirs. Local and Chinese-Vietnamese dishes are sold both inside and along the surrounding streets.

A statue of Quach Dam and a small altar honouring him can still be found in the central courtyard. Binh Tay has wide walkways and organised sections, unlike the narrower alleys of Ben Thanh Market.

Thien Hau Temple

Thien Hau Temple (Chua Ba Thien Hau) is a Chinese-style temple of the sea goddess Mazu on Nguyen Trai Street in Cho Lon ward. The Cantonese community first built it around 1760. It saw major repairs or expansions in 1800, 1842 (and possibly also 1847), 1882, 1890 and 1916.

It has been a national architectural and art monument since 1993.

The temple is divided into the front, middle and main temple. The main temple holds a one-metre statue of Lady Thien Hau made from a wooden block. In 2022 the middle temple had 130-year-old censers burning incense.

Visitors buy conical incense coils and hang them from the roof to pray for peace and good luck.

The temple opens 06:30 to 16:30 every day and costs nothing to enter. Plan to be inside before 16:30, not after.

Dioramas at the temple show scenes from a 19th-century Chinese city. The large bronze bell dates to 1830.

Lady Thien Hau’s birthday festival

Her birthday anniversary is held annually on the 22nd to 24th days of the third lunar month. A palanquin with her statue is carried around the temple, with lion dances and other performances.

Who Cho Lon suits (and who should skip it)

• Early risers: mornings are best for fresh food and fewer crowds.
• Food lovers: dishes are sold inside the market and along the surrounding streets, and the night street has 38 food businesses.
• Visitors who like to haggle: prices are not always fixed. Skip it if you dislike bargaining.
• Card payers: most stalls do not accept cards, so bring cash.
• Crowd avoiders: the temple is most crowded on the fifteenth day of the lunar month and often busy at weekends.

How to get to Binh Tay Market and Thien Hau Temple

Binh Tay Market is at 57A Thap Muoi Street, in Binh Tay Ward. Thien Hau Temple is at 710 Nguyen Trai Street, Cho Lon, in Cho Lon Ward.

By taxi or ride-hailing, allow about 20 - 30 minutes from the central districts, usually costing between 100,000 VND - 150,000 VND. Buses on routes 01, 10, 11 and 96 pass near the market. Get off near Cho Lon Bus Station, a short walk away.

If you drive, Tran Binh and Le Tan Ke streets are used as parking for night-street visitors. For rides inside the city see Getting Around Ho Chi Minh City.

Open Binh Tay Market in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Open Thien Hau Temple in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

When to go and how long

Arrive at 07:00, when the market opens. Mornings are best for fresh food and fewer crowds. The temple closes at 16:30, so visit it in the afternoon, then stay on for the night street from 18:00.

For a quieter temple, avoid the fifteenth day of the lunar month and weekends if you want it quieter. The birthday festival falls on the 22nd to 24th days of the third lunar month.

Nearby and how to combine it

The two sights are both in Cho Lon: the market in Binh Tay Ward and the temple in Cho Lon Ward. Each has its own Maps pin above.

One day in Cho Lon: ride to the market for 07:00 and browse the stalls and street food. Then visit Thien Hau Temple before 16:30 and return to Binh Tay for the night street from 18:00.

For the city’s other big market, see Ben Thanh Market. The things to do pillar lists more sights.

Before you go

• Bring cash in small notes, since most stalls do not accept cards.
• Go early: the market opens at 07:00 and mornings are quietest.
• Haggle, as prices are not always fixed.
• Keep your bag zipped and in front of you in the aisles, as in any busy market.
• Plan the night street for 18:00 to midnight, every evening.
• See the temple before 16:30.
• Expect the temple to be busiest on the fifteenth day of the lunar month and at weekends.

Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (Binh Tay Market on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), Thien Hau Temple, Cho Lon on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by Ceds B, renz demavivas, Fiona Su, Aymeric Asselineau, Edward Lam.

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Not confirmed: Hours come from Google Maps and a tourism guide, as neither the market nor the temple publishes a notice, so go in the morning.

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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