Leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the city, every weekend, many Saigonese come to the Saigon antique market in the Cao Minh garden cafe in a small alley on No Trang Long Street, Binh Thanh District to live fully with their passion and nostalgia.
Saigon Antique Market started operating in 2013 and is the place where an antique market takes place, a meeting place for people who love old memorabilia in the heart of the bustling city that changes every day. It is called a market but in fact this is a place for people who share a passion for antiques to exchange, trade, buy and sell or simply to show off the items they have collected. The value of those items is also very diverse but mainly depends on the age of the item as well as its rarity.
Saigon Antique Market is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 6:00 to 14:00. Each visitor, buyer, or seller must pay a fee of 40,000 VND to enter, including 1 drink or 1 meal of their choice. The drinks and food here are also diverse and quite delicious, so food lovers are guaranteed to be satisfied.
Most of the customers here are regulars, so although the market is crowded, it is not chaotic or rushed, but like a slow-motion movie, echoing memories with countless souvenirs that evoke nostalgia.
Buyers and sellers can spend hours just talking to each other about antiques, to find a soul mate amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. Buyers are leisurely, sellers are not in a hurry. Because if they can’t sell today, they can do it tomorrow, or the day after, and holding a market here doesn’t require the expense of renting a space.
Because this passion has seeped into their blood, many sellers have to travel all over the country just to hunt for unique and rare items and then wait until the weekend to bring them to the market to exchange with their brothers.
Now this antique market is not only a destination for middle-aged people, but also a meeting place for many young people and tourists, especially foreigners. They come here not necessarily to buy and sell, but sometimes just to touch the souvenirs from the past.
Antiques at Saigon Antique Market are extremely diverse and rich, originating from all over the country such as: Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Saigon,... are displayed eye-catchingly in all the stalls in the market. Each stall sells a separate item such as: old cameras, old books, newspapers, pictures, production tools, pottery, bronze, feng shui items...
Besides, from 9am to 11am, there is also an Acoustic music program with the participation of many singers. Songs from the previous decades such as: Diem oi, Ha trang, Cat bui ... resound, bringing people back to the old days, so when looking at the items, it is much more emotional.
Another unique thing about the market is that it is considered a place to “preserve youth” because there are countless angles for you to take photos with the background of advertising signs and hand-drawn lines from the subsidy period. Just raise your camera and you will have a beautiful virtual photo.
Traveling to Ho Chi Minh City, if you love collecting antiques, want to buy antiques to decorate your home, or give to your loved ones, this is a perfect place. For those who want to "change the wind" and relax on the weekend, try this Saigon antique market to freely admire unique antiques, enjoy a dish considered a Saigon specialty and save photos for yourself in the ancient market corners, tinged with the color of time.
