The markets in Saigon are always attractive destinations for visitors from all over the world. Because the rhythm of life in the markets is the most authentic reflection of the lifestyle and culture of the local people. One of the famous places is the Ho Thi Ky flower market. When you come here, you can see different kinds of flowers and typical activities of Saigon at night.
Ho Thi Ky Flower Market in Ho Chi Minh City
In 1987, Ho Thi Ky Flower Market, also called Little Dalat in Saigon, was established. Over the tens years, the flower market has become a well-known gathering place that supplies most of the flowers for the whole city. The market locates on the street of the same name, hidden by the Le Hong Phong apartment complex.
- Address: Alley 52 Ho Thi Ky Street, Ward 01, District 10, HCMC, Vietnam
- Opening hours: 24/7
- Major product: Flowers, including wholesale and retail.
At different times of the day, the Little Dalat in Saigon brings its own beauty, sparkling flowers, and fragrant scent. At night, the Ho Thi Ky flower market is still active, but few passersby will be a great time for tourists to explore its beauty.
The best time to visit Ho Thi Ky flower market
Ho Thi Ky flower market is open 24/7 all day and night, but the most crowded and bustling time is from 0:00 am to 3:00 am. Especially at dawn, the market is very busy with buying and selling activities and is extremely eye-catching because of the image of vendors rushing to transport flowers in time for the new day.
The unique beauty of Saigon flower market
Walking around the flower market, tourists will enjoy the shimmering beauty and the sweet scent of flowers, which makes the guests fall in love with it.
It is because Ho Thi Ky Flower Market is a source of cheap fresh flowers for the whole city. So, here sell hundreds of different floret types rich in colours, including Salem, mimosa, rose, orchid, lily, chrysanthemum, sunflower, lotus, etc.
It depends on each season, the blooms in the market will change. Most of them originated mainly from Dalat City, and few others come from Mekong Delta.
During important festivals and public holidays, such as International and Vietnamese Women Day (8th March and 20 October), Valentine Day (14 Feb), and the new-year days, Ho Thi Ky Flower Market is even more crowded and hustle.
Amidst the chilly atmosphere of the night with the dim lights, tourists will experience the peaceful and poetic space of Saigon. At the same time, while walking at this moment, you can come across images of hard-working workers. The thud of a truck, the bargain of the seller, and the buyer make it more lively.
The sleepless market is a name that the Saigoneers call it. All intertwine and mix together to create a lively picture of Saigon, which is waiting for the sunrise to start a new day.
Not only locals but also tourists also come to visit the flower market of Ho Thi Ky. If you are afraid of the noisy and busy daytime, you can go to the market in the evening to go for a walk, take pictures and buy your favourite flowers.
Experience buying flowers at Ho Thi Ky flower market in Saigon
Most of the flowers in the Ho Thi Ky market are very fresh and beautiful, so it will be available for you to select. However, you need to recognize the refreshment of all branches, not only blooms.
So, when choosing flowers, you should pick up branches with enough stems and leaves. All of them must be fresh. The flower fork must be green, hard and straight, and the leaves should look sturdy, healthy, dark green, not sicken. This skill is to get flowers with the best fragrance and not easily wilt.
Also, you can try testing the quality of flowers by gently placing your fingers on the top of the florets to check their hardness. If the flowers are old, the petals will be soft; and the green outer the stem and leaves are no longer shiny and not sturdy.
However, you should pay attention to their prices because it is often a higher cost to tourists. So if you do not know the price before coming here to buy. For the normal days, the price for common flowers often costs as below:
- Rose: 3,000VND per flower,
- Chrysanthemum: 5,000 VND/one,
- Lily: 90,000VND/floret.
In the public or Tet holidays, the rate can get double the cost to compare with the normal days.
Ho Thi Ky Flower Market is an attractive destination that you cannot ignore when you want to know more about Saigon’s life.
Ignoring the hustle of life, the colourful market of Ho Thi Ky will bring exciting feelings to each visitor.
If you want to take pictures of daily life, this market is a must-see attraction in HCMC.