Ben Thanh market
has long been one of Saigon's most famous landmark. The market has
been in existence since the French occupation.
The original market was located
on the shores of Ben Nghe river by old fort Gia Dinh. Its proximity
to the fort and the river where merchants and soldiers would land
was reason for its name (Ben meaning pier or port and Thanh meaning
fort).
In 1859, when the French invaded Saigon and overtook fort Gia Dinh,
Ben Thanh Market was destroyed. It was rebuilt shortly thereafter
and remained standing until it was moved to its present location in
1899. Built on a landfill of what was once a swamp named Bo Ret (Marais
Boresse), the new Ben Thanh Market is located in the center of the
city.
Under the French government, the area around Ben Thanh Market was
called Cu Nhac circle (Rond point Cuniac), named after Mr. Cuniac,
the person who proposed filling the swamp to create this area. The
area was later renamed Cong truong Dien Hong.
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