Saigon Chinatown Tour: Half-Day Cho Lon Walking Adventure

Your guide and driver meet you at your hotel and take you to Chợ Lớn, often called one of the biggest Chinatowns in the world, where our Saigon Chinatown tour begins.

Small groups travel by a modern Grab car, while larger groups of 8–10 people travel by private van.

If you choose the motorbike option, a local rider picks you up at your hotel and gives you a short city cruise before heading to Chinatown.

Our first stop is Bình Tây Market, built in 1930 by Quách Đàm, a Chinese businessman who played an important role in the development of Chợ Lớn.

The market’s architecture is a mix of East Asian design and Western construction techniques. But what makes Bình Tây interesting is not just the building itself – it’s the business that still happens here every morning.

The market remains one of Saigon’s major wholesale markets, supplying everything from spices, dried fruit, and specialty foods to fabrics, toys, and everyday goods.

From the market, we take a short ride to St. Francis Xavier Church, better known locally as Cha Tam Church.

Built in the late 19th century for the Chinese-Vietnamese Catholic community, the church is an unusual mix of Gothic architecture and traditional Chinese elements. Look closely and you’ll notice the Yin-Yang roof tiles and Chinese-style details around the entrance.

The church is also connected to one of the most dramatic events in Vietnam’s modern history.

In 1963, after President Ngô Đình Diệm’s government was overthrown, Diệm and his brother Ngô Đình Nhu left the Independence Palace and made their way there. The church became their final place of prayer before they were arrested and later killed.

The small table where they reportedly hid is still preserved inside the church, giving this otherwise quiet place a very different feeling once you know its story.

We then take a short walk to Soái Kình Lâm, one of Chợ Lớn’s best-known fabric markets.

The shops here carry almost everything a tailor could need, from affordable nylon and cotton to higher-end silk. It’s also a good place to see how Chợ Lớn’s old trading neighborhoods still work today.

We keep walking through some of Chợ Lớn’s most unusual specialized streets.

First is Aquarium Street, where shops sell exotic fish, aquariums, and all kinds of decorations for fish tanks.

Then we turn into the narrow streets around Lương Nhữ Học, better known as Lantern Street. During certain times of the year, the street fills with colorful lanterns and becomes one of the most recognizable corners of Chợ Lớn.

Our last stop is the traditional medicine street. Shops here sell herbs, dried plants, and ingredients used in traditional Chinese medicine, while small clinics and herbal medicine stores line the street.

And yes – you’ll probably smell this street before you really see it. The mixture of herbs and dried ingredients gives the whole neighborhood its own unmistakable smell.

Next, we visit Minh Hương Gia Thạnh, built in 1789.

The Minh Hương were a unique Sino-Vietnamese community made up largely of Chinese settlers who came to Southern Vietnam and gradually became part of Vietnamese society. Unlike the five major Chinese speech-group communities, the Minh Hương developed their own identity and traditions within Vietnamese society.

The communal house served as both a spiritual and administrative center for the community.

Inside, you’ll see an interesting combination of traditional Southern Vietnamese wooden architecture and Chinese decorative arts, including colorful Cây Mai ceramic decorations and detailed wood carvings.

The site also honors historical figures connected to the development and protection of Southern Vietnam, making it a good place to understand the relationship between the Chinese communities and the wider history of the region.

Our next stop is Nghĩa An Assembly Hall, belonging to the Teochew community, one of the major Chinese speech groups in Chợ Lớn.

The hall is dedicated to Lord Quan Công, or Guan Yu, and is filled with elaborate wood carvings, gold details, and traditional decorations.

Take a look at the large Red Hare horse associated with Guan Yu, and you’ll also have the chance to ring the old brass bell and make a wish for good fortune.

We continue to one of Chợ Lớn’s best-known temples, Ba Thien Hau Temple, also known as Tuệ Thành Assembly Hall.

Established around 1760 by the Cantonese community, the temple is dedicated to Mazu, the goddess who protects sailors and people traveling by sea.

The temple is especially atmospheric when the incense coils are burning above the courtyard. Look up at the roof and you’ll find colorful ceramic figures and scenes telling traditional stories – a style that is characteristic of the old temples of Chợ Lớn.

Our final assembly hall is Ôn Lăng, built in the 18th century by the Hokkien community.

The temple has curved, boat-shaped rooflines, colorful ceramic decorations, and plenty of small details to explore.

One of the more unusual traditions here is đánh kẻ tiểu nhân, sometimes translated as “beating the petty people.” The folk ritual is performed to symbolically get rid of people or bad influences causing trouble in your life.

By this point, we’ve met three of the major Chinese communities of Chợ Lớn – the Hokkien, Cantonese, and Teochew – as well as the Minh Hương, whose history and identity developed differently from the five major speech groups.

After walking through the markets, streets, churches, and temples of Chợ Lớn, it’s time to cool down.

We’ll stop for a traditional Chinese – Vietnamese sweet soup, or chè, and try some local favorites such as black sesame sweet soup, chè trứng trà, or quy linh cao.

It’s a simple way to end the Saigon Chinatown tour – something sweet, something cold, and a chance to sit down and talk about everything we’ve just seen.

Afterward, we’ll drive you back to your hotel.