Overview
Located along the northern bank of the Huong River, on Tran Hung Dao Street, the arterial road of Hue City, Dong Ba Market is not only a trading center but also the soul of the Hue Ancient Capital that preserves the distinctive beauty.
The history of Dong Ba Market
Before the opening of Dong Ba Market, there was a grand market named Qui Gia Thi outside of Chanh Dong Gate in the reign of King Gia Long. The name Qui Gia Thi referred to the return of Nguyen Dynasty to Phu Xuan (Hue nowadays). In the summer of 1885, the capital city was attacked and Qui Gia Thi Market was burned to ashes.
Not until 1887 did King Dong Khanh rebuild the market and rename it as Dong Ba Market. Since then, the market has functioned as the main resource of food for the palaces, hospitals, army camps and dormitories of the national universities such as Quoc Hoc, Dong Khanh, Binh Linh, Thien Huu, etc. in 1899, during the Western-style reconstruction project of King Thanh Thai, the market was moved to the nowadays position.
A corner in Dong Ba Market
Even though Dong Ba Market has undergone several projects since the beginning of the 20th century, nowadays, it still embraces many old features.
How to explore Dong Ba Market
In order to have the most diverse experiences at Dong Ba Hue market, you should start your journey around 3 pm. The area of Dong Ba market is nearly 15,600m², extending from Gia Hoi bridge to Truong Tien bridge with thousands of booths serving the trade demand.
Dong Ba Market consists of a 3-story building in the center, called "bell tower" and surrounded by rows of houses in U-shaped belt of bustling sales.
The 1st floor and 2nd floor are places for selling handicraft items as Hue tourist souvenirs, from the hat poem of Phu Cam cone to the sophisticated items of the jeweler of Ke Mon, Phuoc Tich pottery village or bamboo items of Bau La, Da Le, and Phu Thu village.
Dong Ba Market
The first floor is also the place for the dried seafood of Central and dozens of Hue's specialties. When you come here, do not forget to enjoy Hue cuisine with special and famous dishes but affordable price.
