A Trip to Ben Thanh Market

Last summer, my family visited Ho Chi Minh City for the first time. On our second day, we decided to explore Ben Thanh Market, one of the oldest and most famous markets in the city.

The market was much bigger than I expected. There were hundreds of small stalls selling clothes, shoes, souvenirs, and food, all packed closely together under one large roof. The sellers spoke loudly and tried hard to attract customers walking past their stalls.

My mother wanted to buy a silk scarf as a gift for her friend. She could choose from many colors, but she finally picked a red one. The seller first asked for a high price, so my mother tried to bargain. After a little discussion, she paid much less than the first price.

My father was more interested in the wooden souvenirs. He bought a small wooden statue for our living room and a set of chopsticks for our kitchen. My little brother wanted a toy motorbike, so my father bought that too.

We also tried some street food inside the market. The noodle soup there was more delicious than the one at our hotel, and it was much cheaper too. We did not have much money left, so we could not buy more souvenirs, but we were happy with what we found.

In the evening, we walked around the market again before going back to our hotel. The lights were beautiful, and the streets outside were noisy and crowded with tourists and local people. I think Ben Thanh Market is more exciting than any shopping mall in my city.