Chợ Lớn (), usually anglicized as "Cholon" in English sources, is an unofficial quarter of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Historically a city separate from Sài Gòn prior to its urbanization in the 1930s-1950s, the quarter has long been inhabited by Chinese people and is considered the largest Chinatown in the world by area.Cho Lon, HCMC’s Booming Chinatown, Saigon Giải Phóng News, 13 May 2008.Experience Vietnamese-Chinese cultural tourism in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City on a double-decker bus, Voice of Vietnam, 29 May 2024
Chợ Lớn lies on the west bank of the Saigon River, and spans across all of former District 5 and District 6. The quarter borders the former District 8 (along the Tàu Hủ Canal) to the south, and the former Districts 10 & 11 to the north.
Etymology
Professor Chen Zhenghong, when researching textual criticism at China's Fudan University, wrote: "As known before, the term "Đê Ngạn" (堤岸; Pinyin: Dī'àn) literally means 'embankment', more specifically (originating from) the 'Sài Gòn embankment', a place which has — for a long period of time — been settled by the Chinese diaspora".
However, Vietnamese etymologist An Chi rejects this, and described the explanation as "absurd" as Sài Gòn apparently "did not harbor any embankments". He further argued that the term had originally been written by Chinese settlers as: "提岸", with the character "提" (consisting of the 'hand' radical) being replaced with the character "堤" (consisting of the 'earth' radical) later on to align with its alleged definition of 'embankment'. Both terms are pronounced in Cantonese as tai4 ngon6 (transliterated into Vietnamese as "Thầy Ngòn" or Thì Ngòn) and are phonetic transcriptions of the Vietnamese term: "Sài Gòn".
On the other hand, the Vietnamese name Chợ Lớn () is exclusively used among the majority of Vietnamese speakers. The name originated from two markets in the area, whose stark difference in size resulted in the larger & newer market being referred to as "Chợ Lớn" to differentiate it from its smaller, older counterpart. The name eventually grew to refer to the rest of the quarter.
An Chi also stated that, prior to the official creation of "Sài Gòn" (its area at establishment composing of the former District 1 and District 3) by the French, that Sài Gòn originally referred to the areas of modern-day Chợ Lớn – before referring to Bến Nghé as well.
History
Feudal era The city of Chợ Lớn was de facto established by the Hoa community. The Lê dynasty which was the ruling family in the sixteenth century began to decline in power and two rival families, the Trịnh and Nguyễn families began to vie for power to fill in the void of the Lê. The Nguyễn lords were then appointed as Viceroy of the South with headquarters at Huế where they encouraged Chinese immigration to settle down into the area.
Prior to 1698, there'd already been a Minh Hương village in what was modern-day Chợ Lớn – then referred to as Đề Ngạn. Originally consisting of Chinese refugees in the South who had gone against the Qing dynasty, a massive wave of Chinese immigrants arriving from Cù lao Phố (an island located in modern-day Trấn Biên ward, part of the former city of Biên Hòa) would flock to the village following the destruction of their homes by the Tây Sơn forces for sheltering Gia Long during their pursuit of him — as well as following the aftermath of a series of conflicts between the Hòa Nghĩa and Đông Sơn armies.According to the chorography Gia Đinh Thành Thông Chí by Trịnh Hoài Đức. In 1782, more than 10,000 Hoa people were once again massacred by the Tây Sơn and had to rebuild.
Due to demand, Chinese settlers would eventually build a market (as well as expand existing ones) along the historic Sài Gòn Canal (modern-day ) to exchange goods and services.
Under French rule The "City of Chợ Lớn" (Ville de Cholon) was officially established on the 6th of June, 1865, according to a decree ratified by Pierre-Paul de La Grandière (then interim Governor of Cochinchina), on the territories of a number of villages situated in 3 cantons: Tân Phong Thượng, Tân Phong Trung, and Tân Phong Hạ. By 1879, the city was recognized as a "2nd-class municipality" (municipalité de 2e classe) by Governor Charles Le Myre de Vilers, alongside cities in other parts of French Indochina such as Tourane and Phnom Penh. The City of Chợ Lớn was then considered separate from Chợ Lớn province — despite housing the latter's headquarters of government — and was instead led by a mayor (Thị trưởng / maire). In 1882, a meter-wide, 5 kilometer long tramway connecting the cities of Sài Gòn and Chợ Lớn began operations on the 1st of July. By 1930, the two cities had shared a border along what is now "Nguyễn Văn Cừ" and "Nguyễn Thiên Thuật" Street.
French censuses stated at the time that, in 1901, Chợ Lớn had a population of approximately 63,237. By February 1920, that number had risen to 93,949.
On the 27th of April, 1931, Chợ Lớn and the neighboring city of Saigon were merged to form a single administrative division called the Saigon–Cholon Area (Khu Sài Gòn – Chợ Lớn). The official name, however, never entered everyday vernacular speech and the city continued to be referred to as Saigon.
The Saigon–Cholon Area was headed by a 'Chief' (Khu trưởng), who was also appointed by the Governor-General and additionally served as "President of the Administrative Council of the Saigon-Cholon Region" (Chủ tịch Hội đồng quản lý khu Sài Gòn - Chợ Lớn). On the other hand, the aforementioned position of Mayor (Thị trưởng) would last until 1934, when several of its authorities were transferred to the position of Chief.
On the 30th of June, 1951, the Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam signed Decree No. 311-cab/SG, renaming the "Sài Gòn - Chợ Lớn Area" to the "Sài Gòn - Chợ Lớn Capital City" (Đô thành Sài Gòn-Chợ Lớn).
Under South Vietnamese rule In 1956, "Chợ Lớn" was dropped from the city's official name entirely.P. 61, Historic Dictionary of Ho Chi Minh City (written by Justin Corfield; published by Anthem Press in 2013) During the Vietnam War, soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market in Chợ Lớn, trading in various American and especially U.S. Army-issue items. This was the area, near the Quan Âm Pagoda, where photojournalist Eddie Adams took his famous execution photograph. Four Australian journalists were also killed in Chợ Lớn during the Tet Offensive in 1968.
Present On the 16th of June, 2025, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly enacted Resolution No. 1685/NQ-UBTVQH15 (as part of the 2025 Vietnamese administrative reforms), dissolving the former District 5 and merging wards 11, 12, 13, and 14 to form the newly-established Chợ Lớn ward, with a total area of 1,67 km² (0.64 sq mi). As a result, however, the officially-established ward only accounts for a fraction of the unofficial quarter's size.
Culture and economy As home to a significant number of the Chinese diaspora in Vietnam (the Hoa people), Chợ Lớn's culture is deeply influenced by that of Chinese immigrants (predominantly from areas such as Guangdong / Fujian), especially in areas such as cuisine, architecture, cultural festivals, traditions, medicine, etc.
As a result, Chợ Lớn has been described by many as, aside from a major economic & historic hub, a "melting pot of (mainly) Chinese and Vietnamese culture".
Notable cuisine / dishes
Peking duck Steamed buns, more specifically multi-colored buns & Cả Cần steamed buns. har gow (蝦餃; há cảo) shuijiao (水餃; sủi cảo) wontons (雲吞; hoành thánh) "Lão Mã" salt-steamed chicken Satay venison hủ tiếu (rice noodle soup) Stir-fried Hokkien noodles Stinky tofu Steamed chicken feet, often braised with fermented soybean paste. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Varieties of chè: black sesame chè (chè mè đen), tea egg chè (chè trứng hồng trà), papaya chè (chè đu đủ tiềm), tangyuan, almond tofu, guilinggao, Hong Kong–style milk tea, etc.
Religious sites Chợ Lớn is known to harbor various religious sites and places of worship, majority of which are of Chinese origin. Notably, a majority of the sites mentioned in the following lists are also located in the officially-established Chợ Lớn ward.
National relics NameAddressNotesMinh Hương Gia Thạnh Communal House (明鄉嘉盛會館 / Đình Minh Hương Gia Thạnh)380 Trần Hưng Đạo, Chợ Lớn wardHà Chương Assembly Hall (霞漳會館 / Hội quán Hà Chương)802 Nguyễn Trãi, Chợ Lớn wardLệ Châu Assembly Hall (麗朱會館 / Hội quán Lệ Châu)586 Trần Hưng Đạo, Chợ Lớn wardÔn Lăng Assembly Hall (溫陵會館 / Hội quán Ôn Lăng)12 Lão Tử, Chợ Lớn wardAlso known as the Quan Âm Temple (Chùa Quân Âm)Nghĩa An Assembly Hall (義安會館 / Hội quán Nghĩa An)676 Nguyễn Trãi, Chợ Lớn wardAlso known as Tuệ Thành Assembly Hall (穗城會館 / Hội quán Tuệ Thành)Nghĩa Nhuận Assembly Hall (義潤會館 / Hội quán Nghĩa Nhuận)27 Phan Văn Khỏe, Chợ Lớn wardNhị Phủ Assembly Hall (二府會館 / Hội quán Nhị Phủ)264 Hải Thượng Lãn Ông, Chợ Lớn wardQuỳnh Phủ Assembly Hall (瓊府會館 / Hội quán Quỳnh Phủ)276 Trần Hưng Đạo B, Chợ Lớn wardThien Hau Temple of Cholon (Miếu Thiên Hậu)710 Nguyễn Trãi, Chợ Lớn ward
City-level relics NameAddressNotesThiên Tôn Pagoda (天尊寺 / Chùa Thiên Tôn)117/3/2 An Bình, An Đông wardTân Kiểng Pagoda (新景亭 / Đình Tân Kiểng)718 Trần Hưng Đạo, Chợ Quán wardPhước An Assembly Hall (福安會館 / Hội quán Phước An)184 Hồng Bàng, Chợ Lớn wardAlso known as "Minh Hương Pagoda"Lý Family Ancestral House (李氏祠堂 / Từ đường họ Lý)292 Hải Thượng Lãn Ông, Chợ Lớn wardHokkien Ancestral House (福建祠堂 / Từ đường Phúc Kiến)314 Nguyễn Trãi, An Đông wardLocated within Nguyễn Trãi Hospital Commerce Alongside the quarter's cultural significance, Chợ Lớn has long served as one of Ho Chi Minh City's commercial and trading hubs — evident through the diverse range of marketplaces, ranging from roadside shophouses to wholesale markets situated across Chợ Lớn.
Commercial streets/areas (tuyến phố chuyên doanh) Commercial streets/areas (tuyến phố chuyên doanh) specializing in specific commodities, goods, and services (e.g. textiles, floristry, traditional Chinese medicine, gemstones, fashion, cuisine, etc.) can be found across the quarter, and are aimed at preserving local cultural traditions & heritage as well as boost local economic development via serving as tourist attractions.
(spanning across Chợ Lớn ward), and the historic canal which once stood in the area during feudal times, has long served as a major commercial and trading hub. Inhabited by the Chinese since the late 19th century, the area surrounding modern-day Hải Thượng Lãn Ông Street is known for having a distinct, early 20th-century style Chinese-influenced architecture. NameAddressNotesHải Thượng Lãn Ông Old Street (Khu phố cổ Hải Thượng Lãn Ông)Hải Thượng Lãn Ông St., Chợ Lớn wardEstablished in 1864. Recognized by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism since July 2010 as "one of the cities' oldest neighborhood blocks", due to substantial preservation of historic architecture.District 5 Traditional Medicine Street (Phố Đông y Quận 5)Hải Thượng Lãn Ông St. and Lương Nhữ Học St., Chợ Lớn wardDistrict 5 Lantern Street (Phố lồng đèn Quận 5)Lương Nhữ Học St., Chợ Lớn wardPhùng Hưng Stationery Street (Phố văn phòng phẩm Phùng Hưng)Phùng Hưng St., Chợ Lớn wardChợ Lớn Artificial Flowers Street (Phố hoa vải Chợ Lớn)Tháp Mười St., Bình Tây wardSoài Kinh Lâm Textiles Market (Phố vải Soái Kình Lâm)18 An Dương Vương, An Đông wardFormerly & colloquially known as "Soái Kình Lâm Market" (Chợ Soái Kình Lâm)District 5 Jewelry Quarter (Phố vàng bạc trang sức Quận 5)Nhiêu Tâm / Nghĩa Thực / Bùi Hữu Nghĩa St., An Đông wardSurrounds Hòa Bình Market.
Markets Commerce, especially among the local Chinese community, is also heavily concentrated in Chợ Lớn's most prominent markets, such as Bình Tây Market, , and ; such markets often consist of hundreds of dense stalls, which are utilized for the sale of wholesale goods.