It is not an easy time to live far away from home. In places that people speak a language you are unknown to, you are exposed to new cultures and new lifestyles. Understanding that, some came up with the idea of opening a flea market where expatriates can gather together, not just to exchange goods but also to share smiles and happiness. In Hanoi, Tay Ho Weekend Market is the most popular weekly event for foreigners who are traveling to or living in the peaceful capital of Vietnam.
I. About Tay Ho Weekend Market
Tay Ho Weekend Market takes place every Saturday morning, from 9:30 to 11:00. The venue for this flea market is No. 4, Lane 67, Alley 12, To Ngoc Van Street, Tay Ho District. It is just about some walks from the famous West Lake. This flea market that takes place in a large yard near the local communal house, but is no longer open. In the past, it is the gathering place of several temporary shops and souvenir stores; however, it now belongs to 1 store for organic Vietnamese products only.
| Address: No. 4, Lane 67, Alley 12, To Ngoc Van Street, Tay Ho District
Opening Hours: 9:00 – 11:00 AM, every Saturday |
II. History of Tay Ho Weekend Market
Tay Ho District has become more and more popular thanks to its fascinating trail alongside the West Lake – the biggest and most attractive lake in Hanoi. This area also has a prime location: it is close to the Old Quarter, the nation’s political center in Ba Dinh District, and the newly developing industrial area in Cau Giay & Bac Tu Liem. Therefore, not only is it a famous entertaining and relaxing destination, Tay Ho has become the residence where gathers the largest number of foreigners who are working or just traveling to Hanoi.
The more people settle down there, the larger the demand for meeting and exchanging goods rises. Some expatriates thought about opening a market where foreigners can gather together. And that is the beginning of Tay Ho Weekend Market. Located right next to the poetic West Lake, this weekend flea market is an ideal occasion for foreigners and the locals to meet and to exchange goods. This market offers mostly high-quality organic or handicraft items. They serve foods here, also.
In the past, the market takes place every Saturday morning. However, because everyone is busy and their free time is not the same, Tay Ho Weekend Market nowadays only occurs occasionally. Still, there is now an organic store that opens daily here, so you can visit it at any time.
III. What does Tay Ho Weekend Market offer?
1. A Meeting Place For Expats
Unlike other markets in Vietnam that the sellers and the buyers are mostly Vietnamese, Tay Ho Weekend Market is for foreigners. People come from different parts of the world gather here to sell and buy not only goods but also smiles and happiness. As living in a totally different culture, foreigners cannot help but feel strange and unfamiliar even when they try to integrate themselves into the local community. Tay Ho Weekend Market, hence, would help them get the familiar home vibe.
The open yard space of the market is the ideal destination where you can meet your countrymen and together immerse yourselves in the familiar music. Forget the EDM records, cups of rum, gin, or whiskey at night pubs in the Old Quarter since here, you will get a quieter and more peaceful vibe.
2. A “Real” Market With Goods And Foods
No matter what the main purpose of Tay Ho Weekend Market is, it is a “market”. It is the place where people sell and buy things, including veggies, jewelry, souvenirs, handicraft items, and foods. Products from different countries are gathered there for exchanging and trading. Lots of products are unique and can’t be found anywhere else.
To be specific, there are zones for different product categories, namely handmade area, second-hand area, food area, and a kid zone.
Second-hand area sells the items (clothes, shoes, books, etc.) that the owners no longer need while the handmade area offers the handicrafts and jewelry. The largest zone is the food area with a wide range of bread, Western snacks, organic vegetables, fruits, and so on.
In case you are going with your kids, there is a playground for them there.
Last but not least, there is also a charity booth which is to raise funds for orphan and handicapped children. You can donate clothes, belongings, and money there.
IV. Why go to Tay Ho Weekend Market?
1. Qualified Food Hygiene
An important thing that people concern a lot these days are food hygiene when reports of unclearly originated and bad-quality ingredients have been covering the media. At this market, every product must go through a strict quality assessment before being sold, so you can rest assured with its quality.
Especially, with the case of vegetables, there is not a large number of veggies there, but all of them are organic. The sellers grow it themselves, and they don’t use any kind of chemicals or the like when cultivating. If you are finding some veggies for your DIY salad, this is the best place to shop at.
2. No Need To Bargain
When first coming to Vietnam or other Asian countries, you must have been overcharged some times when buying things because you don’t know how to bargain the price. Many foreigners, who have been in Vietnam for years, who must have been familiar with the way of trading things here, still feel uncomfortable when going shopping.
If you are one of them, don’t worry, because this market won’t force you to do so.
At Tay Ho Weekend Market, every item has a fixed price that is listed clearly and visibly. However, due to the high quality and uniqueness of the items, the prices might be a little bit high, but they are definitely worth it.
3. Eco-Friendly
The Earth is heating up and pollution is more and more severe; therefore, everyone should do at least some things to save nature. Tay Ho Weekend Market sets a strict rule about how to operate the market without posing any harm to Mother Nature. They try to minimize the use of plastic bags and other pollutants. Instead, they would offer eco-friendly items (like paper bags, paper cups, etc.) to replace.
V. Travel tips
- As the items in Tay Ho Weekend Market are top-notch, the prices would be higher than at the normal market. Hence, prepare your mind beforehand.
- Though it has a great location near West Lake, it would be quite hard to find if you don’t have your means of transportation. It would take quite long to get there by taxi if you are staying in a hotel inside the Old Quarter or further areas.
- Don’t forget to admire the majestic West Lake. Some walks or joggings along the lakeside trail at the sunrise would be great to kick off a new day.
Contact Us:
Address No.456 Lac Long Quan Street, Tay Ho District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: (+84) 4 3927 4120
Email: sales@luxurytravelvietnam.com
Hotline: (+84) 1234 68 69 96
Website: https://luxurytravelvietnam.com
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