The American newspaper USA Today has published their list of the "Best food markets around the world" in which Saigon's own Ben Thanh market ranked 15th.
USA Today ranked the 45 best markets around the world based on their critical acclaim, how reflective they are of the local region, and the importance of food and drink at the market.
Ben Thanh market possesses the most ancient architecture, which is praised as one of the most attractive tourist sites in Ho Chi Minh city.
Beside souvenir, fashion and footwear stores, coming to Ben Thanh market, visitors will see the zone for food. They will see hundreds of cuisines sourced from every corner of the country: from Hanoi's pho to Hue's banh beo (rice cake), Vietnamese's hu tieu (noodle), spring rolls, and more.
Culture in Ben Thanh market is the wonderful mixture of cuisines of different regions to form a diversified and unique feature for the market, which are both familiar and new.
Ben Thanh market was constructed by the Brossard et Maupin Construction Company in 1912. It was earlier called New market or Saigon market to distinguish it from Old market. After 1957, it was renamed Ben Thanh market.
Ben Thanh market has four entrances and four sections, a roof clock tower, and overlooks four main streets of District 1. At present, the market has more than 3,000 stalls that sell wholesale and retail items from food to luxury goods.
The list of the best food markets includes many areas in the world, but mainly in Europe and Asia where have long-standing cultures. The top three selected markets are La Boqueria market (Barcelona, Spain), Borough market (London, UK) and Noryangjin fish market (Seoul, Korea).