Postcards From Cholon

Postcards From Cholon

July 30th, 2018

Cholon is a historic Chinatown west of old Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I visited the area on three occasions in 2017, intent on wandering around and capturing some pictures from the streets. Previously I published an extensive report on the Chinese temples of Cholon, including some detail about the history and demographics of the area, so I won’t repeat myself in this post. Instead, I’ll let the photos do the talking this time around…

A Typical Cholon Shophouse — A typical shophouse on the streets of Cholon. I saw many just like this one.

Cholon Roundabout Propaganda — Propaganda posters adorn this Cholon roundabout. One exhorts strong military defense: “quyet tam bao ve vung chac, dao Viet Nam”.

Cholon Jamail Mosque — The austere Jamail Mosque, built in 1935 by Tamil Muslims.

Another Cholon Shophouse — Another Cholon shophouse. Two of the original Chinese characters remain on the nameplate.

Cholon Apartment Block Style — Cholon apartment block style. This looks very much like the so-called café building in Saigon.

Cholon Shutters 1

Cholon Shutters 2

Cholon Concrete

Dragon Pool at Thang Long Park, Cholon — Swimming with dragons at Thang Long Park in the heart of Cholon.

St. Francis Xavier Parish Church, Cholon — St. Francis Xavier Parish Church, Cholon, completed in 1902.

Inside St. Francis Xavier Parish Church, Cholon — There are a several Chinese flourishes inside the St. Francis Xavier Parish Church.

Chinese Martyrs Mural at St. Francis Xavier Parish Church — A depiction of the Martyr Saints of China (中華殉道聖人) near the entrance of the St. Francis Xavier Parish Church.

Street Scene Behind Binh Tay Market — A common street scene near Binh Tay Market.

Out front at Binh Tay Market in Ho Chi Minh City — Binh Tay Market, the heart of Cholon.

Inside the Refurbished Binh Tay Market — Inside the newly refurbished Binh Tay Market.

Cholon Textile Vendor — Textile vendor along the commercial streets of Cholon.

Chinese Herb Shop in Cholon — A huge shipment of herbs on a street filled with Chinese medicine shops.

Dried Goods Vendor, Cholon — Dried goods vendor near Binh Tay Market, where Cholon derives its Vietnamese name.

Dried Goods at Binh Tay Market — More dried goods in the wings of Binh Tay Market.

Bilingual Signs in Cholon — Bilingual signs are common in Cholon. This is a bookstore.

Hobbling Through Cholon — Hobbling through the hardware district.

Gold Game Center Facade — This gleaming gold façade obscures the front of the former Dai Quang Theater in Cholon.

Traces of Cinema in Cholon — Traces of cinematic history outside a former movie theater in Cholon. Wonder how old this mural is?

Hidden Dome at Dai Quang Theater, Cholon — A dome hidden above the entrance to Dai Quang Theater. The vaulted roof of the theater can be seen in the background.

Inside Dai Quang Theater, Cholon — The antechamber to the old movie theater, directly below the previous shot. Beyond this point I wasn’t allowed to shoot any photos.

Cholon Tenement Blues — Part of an entire row of condemned houses south of Binh Tay Market.

Cholon Trash Canal — Not all of Cholon is so picturesque. This canal running behind the market was especially putrid.

Cholon Mansion — The former Chinese Chamber of Commerce near Nguyen Trai Road.

I’d like to acknowledge Nomadic Notes for providing a good introduction to Cholon. For a taste of vintage theater vibes in Cholon and Saigon check out these posts (in Vietnamese, with photos) try here, here, and here. Finally, if you enjoy my photography from Vietnam I suggest scoping out postcards from Hanoi.

Map

Themes

Chinese Diasporic Culture (華人移民文化)

Regions

Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City (Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh)

Backlinks

Binh Tay Market (Chợ Bình Tây)

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