Ben Binh Dong Tet flower market, Saigon

A blissful calm descends on Saigon during Tet, when a large chunk of the city’s population heads home to spend the Lunar New Year with their families. You can really sense the size of Saigon’s immigrant population from across the country, when it heads home. For a few days, the city feels about half its normal size.

For a taste of Tet in Saigon, most travellers will head to the annual flower street. This year it will be held on Nguyen Hue St’s new walking strip, in the middle of town. The Nguyen Hue Tet Flower St will run till 13 February.

I shot the video below after Tet 2015 when the flower street was still located on Ham Nghi St.

If you want a more local experience, head out along Vo Van Kiet St to Ben Binh Dong St at Cau Cha Va (Cha Va bridge) in District 8.

You’ll find dozens of traditional wooden cargo boats that have travelled from the Mekong Delta to Saigon with their cargo of cumquat trees (cay quat) and hoa mai trees and flowers - all features of the traditional Tet celebration.

You might want to cross the Cha Va bridge for a wander amidst the chaos of Cholon - Saigon’s Chinatown too. There are some wonderful old warehouses and shophouses.

Here are some images from my visit to Ben Binh Dong two years ago. The market is operating now and will run through till Sunday night 7 February 2016.

Locals will tell you to watch your phone, camera and bag in this area - especially if you’re there late.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi! Happy New Year!

Photo: Mark Bowyer Ben Binh Dong Tet flower market, Saigon

Photo: Mark Bowyer Ben Binh Dong Tet flower market, Saigon

Photo: Mark Bowyer Ben Binh Dong Tet flower market, Saigon

 

 

Photo: Mark Bowyer Ben Binh Dong Tet flower market, Saigon

 

 

Photo: Mark Bowyer Ben Binh Dong Tet flower market, Saigon

 

 

Photo: Mark Bowyer Cha Va Bridge, Saigon

 

 

Photo: Mark Bowyer District 8, Saigon

 

 

Photo: Mark Bowyer Ben Binh Dong Tet flower market, Saigon

 

 

Photo: Mark Bowyer Ben Binh Dong Tet flower market, Saigon

 

 

Photo: Mark Bowyer Ben Binh Dong Tet flower market, Saigon

 

 

Photo: Mark Bowyer Ben Binh Dong Tet flower market, Saigon

 

 

Photo: Mark Bowyer Ben Binh Dong Tet flower market, Saigon