The Ho Thi Ky Market in District 10, Saigon, is known as one of Saigon's largest wholesale flower markets, and these days it draws crowds as a multinational food street too. After midnight, trucks loaded with flowers gather; from evening, stalls line the alleys. It is a locally rooted market that shows completely different faces depending on the time of day.<\/p>\n
Ho Thi Ky Market was originally famous as one of Saigon's largest wholesale flower markets. In recent years, its alleys have filled with stalls, and it has become just as well known as a food spot. Located in District 10, it is about 10 to 15 minutes by taxi or Grab from central District 1. The atmosphere is far more local than the overly tourist-polished Ben Thanh Market, and it is beloved by locals and students.<\/p>\n
The flower market is at its liveliest from midnight into the early morning. From around midnight to 3 a.m., trucks loaded with cut flowers from Da Lat, the Mekong Delta, and nearby provinces arrive one after another, peaking from around 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. Brokers appraise the goods, call out prices, and bundled flowers are carried off into the city. From around 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. is the retail window, when colorful flowers spill from the storefronts.<\/p>\n
The food street, meanwhile, comes alive at a different hour. Stalls operate from around 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., bustling with diners from dinner into late-night snacks. In other words, what \"begins at midnight\" is the flower wholesale, while the food crawl runs from evening; the two faces divide the day between them.<\/p>\n