Saigon Streets of Chinatown Morning Tour
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Trip Type: Walking Tours
Duration: 6 hours
Get far off of the tourist track with a unique walking excursion by foot through Ho Chi Minh City's Cho Lon District, otherwise known as Saigon's Chinatown district. Explore the vivid and distinct charm of this little-explored corner of the city - and learn the local secrets behind one of the world's oldest and largest Chinatowns.
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Get far off of the tourist track with a unique walking excursion by foot through Ho Chi Minh City's Cho Lon District, otherwise known as Saigon's Chinatown district. Explore the vivid and distinct charm of this little-explored corner of the city - and learn the local secrets behind one of the world's oldest and largest Chinatowns.Start your journey of the alluring and dynamic Cho Lon District - Cho Lon meaning "big market" - at the gateway to the iconic Binh Tay Market, famed for its warren of food stands and grand Sino-French archi-tecture. Here, we learn about the day-to-day lifestyles of shop keepers, who spend their days selling fruit and vegetables to local residents within this bustling commercial melee.
We then walk further on for a stop at a local coffee shop and a cup of traditional caphe sua da. This unique local blend of strong black coffee, condensed milk and ice is considered one of the tastiest cups of coffee in all of Asia that's at its best in the heart of District 5.
Sample a few exotic fruits with your iced coffee before heading onwards through the district's chaotic backstreets, this time on board a traditional tricycle taxi, called a cyclo. Pass by shops selling anything from spare motorbike parts to religious antiques before arriving at the historic Cha Tam Church. It was here that President Diem was seized during the 1963 coup and since played a central role in the city's turbulent past, making it one of the most fascinating historic landmarks in the entire city.
Next, set off on a walk through the oldest streets in Cho Lon on the way to a traditional Chinese medicine shop to learn how herbal tea is prepared. Then, continue on the Minh Huong communal house - home to one of Cho Lon's oldest Chinese communities. We hear the stories of local families who first immigrated from China over three centuries ago, and how Chinese culture and traditional Vietnamese values have blended over that time to create the unique charm of Cho Lon today.
Wrap up your journey on board the beautiful Lady Hau rice barge and a hands-on cooking master class before sitting down for lunch!
We then walk further on for a stop at a local coffee shop and a cup of traditional caphe sua da. This unique local blend of strong black coffee, condensed milk and ice is considered one of the tastiest cups of coffee in all of Asia that's at its best in the heart of District 5.
Sample a few exotic fruits with your iced coffee before heading onwards through the district's chaotic backstreets, this time on board a traditional tricycle taxi, called a cyclo. Pass by shops selling anything from spare motorbike parts to religious antiques before arriving at the historic Cha Tam Church. It was here that President Diem was seized during the 1963 coup and since played a central role in the city's turbulent past, making it one of the most fascinating historic landmarks in the entire city.
Next, set off on a walk through the oldest streets in Cho Lon on the way to a traditional Chinese medicine shop to learn how herbal tea is prepared. Then, continue on the Minh Huong communal house - home to one of Cho Lon's oldest Chinese communities. We hear the stories of local families who first immigrated from China over three centuries ago, and how Chinese culture and traditional Vietnamese values have blended over that time to create the unique charm of Cho Lon today.
Wrap up your journey on board the beautiful Lady Hau rice barge and a hands-on cooking master class before sitting down for lunch!
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