Staying in Cho Lon: Saigon's Chinatown, markets and temples

Who should stay in Cho Lon?

Cho Lon suits travellers interested in culture, food and markets more than nightlife: repeat visitors to Saigon, photographers, travellers of Chinese heritage and anyone who wants a less touristy base with lower prices. Its temples, markets and restaurants are reason enough to stay, and the hotels are generally cheaper than in District 1.

The trade-offs are distance and atmosphere. Cho Lon is 3 to 5 km from the centre, so trips to District 1 mean a 15 to 25-minute ride, and there is little in the way of bars or Western-style cafés. The streets are busy and commercial by day, and some areas are very quiet at night.

Hotels and other places to stay in Cho Lon

The 59 properties listed in this zone are mostly hotels, followed by a few apartments and homestays. Most hotels are simple to mid-range, with a large share of one- and two-star properties, many of them run by families and aimed at business travellers and domestic visitors; a handful of larger hotels have restaurants and pools. Many have rooms on several floors served by a lift.

As a guide for 2026, rooms in Cho Lon cost about 500,000 to 1,000,000 VND a night, among the lowest prices for central hotels in the city. A bowl of street food costs about 35,000 to 60,000 VND, and a ride-hailing car to District 1 about 50,000 to 80,000 VND.

What is there to do in Cho Lon?

Binh Tay Market, in District 6, is the great wholesale market of Chinatown, built around a courtyard with a clock tower, where traders sell everything from dried fruit and spices to kitchenware. The Chinese assembly halls of District 5, built by communities from Fujian, Guangdong and other provinces, are among the most ornate buildings in Saigon: the Thien Hau Temple, dedicated to the goddess of the sea, with its coils of incense hanging from the roof, is the best known, and the Quan Am pagoda and the Nghia An assembly hall are close by.

Food is the other attraction: dim sum in the morning, roast duck and pork, noodle soups, herbal teas and Chinese sweets, in old restaurants and on the street. Hai Thuong Lan Ong street is lined with traditional medicine shops, and the streets around Binh Tay Market specialise in different trades, from paper lanterns to fabrics.

How do you get to Cho Lon?

From Tan Son Nhat International Airport, about 4 to 6 km away, the ride takes 25 to 40 minutes depending on traffic. From District 1, a ride-hailing car costs about 50,000 to 80,000 VND and takes 15 to 25 minutes along Tran Hung Dao or Vo Van Kiet avenues, and city buses run between Ben Thanh and Cho Lon.

Metro Line 1 does not serve Cho Lon. Within the area, the temples of District 5 are close together and can be visited on foot, while Binh Tay Market is a short ride further west.

When is Cho Lon at its best?

The dry season, from about December to April, is the best time to walk between the temples and markets. The weeks before Tet, the Lunar New Year in late January or February, are the most colourful: the streets fill with lanterns, decorations and festival food, and the temples with worshippers. Some markets and shops close for several days after Tet. During the rainy season, from about May to November, the covered markets and temples offer shelter from the afternoon showers.

What should you eat in Cho Lon?

Food is one of the best reasons to visit Chinatown. Mornings start with dim sum in old tea houses, where trolleys or menus offer dumplings, buns and rice rolls with tea, and with noodle soups such as hu tieu, a Chinese-Vietnamese dish of rice or egg noodles in a clear broth. At lunchtime, roast duck, crispy pork and char siu hang in the windows of Cantonese barbecue shops, served over rice or noodles, and duck noodle soup is a local favourite.

In the evening, the streets around District 5 fill with stalls selling grilled dishes, hot pots and Chinese desserts, from sweet bean soups to herbal jellies. Herbal tea shops and traditional pharmacies on Hai Thuong Lan Ong street sell cooling drinks and remedies, and bakeries offer mooncakes, especially in the weeks before the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the whole area is decorated with lanterns.

A bowl of street food costs about 35,000 to 60,000 VND here, less than in District 1, and many family restaurants have been run by the same families for generations. For food lovers, a morning or an evening in Cho Lon is one of the highlights of a stay in Saigon, even for those sleeping elsewhere.