Berlitz Pocket Guide Vietnam (Travel Guide eBook) by Berlitz

Author:Berlitz
Format: epub
Tags: Travel, Vietnam
Publisher: Apa Publications
Published: 2019-09-11T16:00:00+00:00

Daily life in Cholon

Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications

Cholon

About 6km (4 miles) west of downtown Saigon lies the bustling quarter of Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City’s Chinatown. From the end of the 18th century Overseas Chinese from the coastal provinces of southern China settled in this region, establishing a township physically and ethnically distinct from nearby Saigon. The two have long since merged into a single metropolis, but Cholon retains a distinctly Chinese flavour.

Set in the heart of Cholon, Chua Ong Nghia An L [map] serves the local Chaozhou community and is notable for its gilded woodwork. Its shady interior is dominated by huge hanging spirals of incense which burn for up to a month. Just across the road the 19th-century Hoi Quan Tam Son Temple M [map] serves the local Fujian community and is dedicated to Me Sanh, the Goddess of Fertility. Local women come to this faded but richly ornamented temple to pray for children. A short distance to the northwest stands Thien Hau Pagoda, built in the early 19th century to serve Cholon’s substantial Cantonese community.

Binh Tay Market N [map] at 57A Thap Muoi Street is Cholon’s biggest market and best epitomises its vibrant commercialism. Built in 1928, its exterior is a fine example of early 20th-century Chinese-influenced French architecture: oriental-style multi-tiered roofs stalked by serpentine dragons blend with French mustard-yellow walls and a clock tower with four clock faces.

North of Cholon by the southern shore of Dam Sen Lake, Giac Vien Pagoda O [map] is one of the oldest temples in Ho Chi Minh City, founded about two centuries ago. Nguyen Emperor Gia Long is said to have worshipped here. Still further north, in the bleak suburb of Tan Binh, Giac Lam Pagoda P [map] dates from 1744 and is said to be the oldest temple in the entire Saigon-Cholon region.

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