Dong Ba Market is the oldest of its kind in Hue, with hundreds of stalls selling household items, handicrafts, clothing and fresh produce at affordable prices which attract many tourists on their holiday. So, you should not miss Dong Ba Market Hue, the significant place of interest inside the city.
Where is Dong Ba Market Located?
Just imagine that you are roaming around this food market, you may find your visit to this city to be filled with new colors. Around 100 kilometers north of Truong Tien Bridge, Dong Ba Market is situated near the eastern corner of the Hue Imperial City, on the north bank of the romantic Perfume River, near the place where the Dong Ba Canal merges with the Perfume River Hue.
Highlights of Dong Ba Market
Story of Naming and Location
Tourists may be confused when they find several things here named “Dong Ba” in Hue city. Actually, Dong Ba is both the name of the largest market in Hue and of a small canal connecting the market with the busy river port of Bao Vinh, Lo Street and Thanh Ha.
Dong Ba is also the name of the first steel bridge across the Dong Ba River and Dong Ba Street. The market was originally located outside the citadel’s Chanh Dong Gate (also commonly called Dong Ba), where today stands a park at the end of Phan Dang Luu Street. The market was burnt down in the summer of 1885. In 1887, King Dong Khanh had it rebuilt and named it Dong Ba.
In 1889, King Thanh Thai had it moved to the current location at the crossroads of the Huong (Perfume) River and the west bank of the Dong Ba Canal. Due to the convenient location, the market has always been very popular. In 1987, the market was under its greatest restoration, in which it was enlarged into a total area of 47,614 m2 with 9 ranges of sales houses, car parking place, motorcycles, bicycles shedding station, and so forth.
Dong Ba the Largest Market in Thua Thien-Hue
Are you eager to purchase craft products as Hue’s gifts for your dearest friends? Well, Dong Ba Market Hue Vietnam is the right place to spend your precious time in this city. Not only being a largest-sized market in the past, Dong Ba market retains its role till now.
It has always been providing “stage” for the traditional crafts in Hue, and sells to all those who are fond of; examples are Phu Cam conical hats, Hien Luong scissors, bronze articles of the Duc guild, Phuoc Tich pottery, Bao La rattan and bamboo products, Ke Mon jewelry, Nam Thuan sweets, Tuan tea, Huong Can mandarins, Luong Quan-Nguyet Bieu pomelos, and Tinh Tam lotus.
Besides, for those who are interested in Southeast Asian food, the market supplies a lot during daytime, such as clam rice, beef noodles, shrimp cakes, pancakes, bean puddings, sour shrimps, and My Lai shredded lean meat, which are popular Hue’s daily dishes. If you stay here on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, you can share the custom of the locals by buying “five-color” cakes, which are small & square cakes made of bean and rice powder.
The name “five-color” derives from the cakes’ 5 colors of wrapping papers. When biting the cake, you can feel that it seems to immediately melt in the mouth, which is unique to Hue’s specialty. Hence, it’s advised that you try these as much as possible during your time in Hue, or else you will miss them so much after coming back to your country!
Cultural Values of Dong Ba Market
Today, people visit Dong Ba Market not only because they can buy myriad goods and local specialties, but because in their hearts it is a symbol of Hue’s culture. What was the most delicate material cultural traits of the city can be found here in the local traditional products, like Phu Cam conical hat, Hien Luong scissors, etc., and the mentioned delicious specialties, such as mussel rice, rice noodle with beef, leaf cake, shrimp spring roll, khoai cake, dau van pudding, etc. that people could not help tasting!
What to eat at Dong Ba market?
Dong Ba is the heaven of great Hue Street foods. There are various local specialties here. They are all so delicious that made Anthony Bourdain came to taste Bun Bo (Noodle soup with beef), and Bun Hen (Mixed noodles with small mussels) here.
Hue Noodle Soup with Beef
Bun Bo Hue is the leading name in every Hue food market because it has been making Hue’s label. This popular dish consists of rice vermicelli with sliced beef. With 30,000 VND you can enjoy a delicious noodle beef bowl.
Bun Hen (Mixed noodles with small mussels)
Bun Hen has been one of the most famous dishes that you should never miss. Specifically, it comprises tiny mussels, milled chili, ginger, sour star fruit, white sesame, peanuts, mint leaves, pennywort, dried shrimp, fresh bean sprouts, and fish sauce.
Banh Khoai (Vietnamese Rice Pancakes)
People fry this yellow crepe from rice flour until it is crispy. Besides it, pork, shrimp, and egg are three other important elements of this rustic food.
The unique ingredient in this kind of pancake is rice flour. Rice flour makes these pancakes a slightly chewy texture that balances out the crispness of the cooked side.
When serving Vietnamese happy pancakes, it is essential to have a dipping sauce (the fish sauce). The sauce really ties all the flavors and textures together, adding something incredibly special taste to these pancakes.
Nem Lui (Hue Lemongrass Skewers)
Nem lui is the lemongrass skewers with grilled pork sausage or meatballs. And a popular Vietnamese food in central Vietnam. Sometimes served as a snack from afternoon till night, or as a main course. Nem lui is a specialty of Hue so you can find and try it easily in Hue city. It can be called a grilled pork skewer, Hue grilled pork as it also can stick on a bamboo skewer.
In fact, this cuisine of the Hue food market includes peanuts, sesames, aromatic garlic, and a little taste of soy sauce noodles. With 15000-20000 VND, tourists can be full of this delicious dish.
Che Hue (Hue Sweet Soup)
Mentioning Hue cuisine, people immediately think of dishes associated with Hue culture such as banh beo, banh nam, banh loc, beef noodle soup, mussel rice, and especially sweet soup.
The fatty and aromatic flavor of coconut water blends with the sweet, delicate, and aromatic flavors of many kinds of beans and fruits in each piece of sweet soup, making all people unable to stop whining every time I enjoy it. Traveling to Hue, if you have not tasted all 36 kinds of sweet soup here, is a big regret.
Dong Ba Market Map
How to get to Dong Ba Market?
The market is quite close to the Hue city center so you can easily walk there. Other options are taking a cyclo to enjoy the city traffic. To be more informative and fully spend time in Hue, you should book our Hue Tours, such as Hue City Private Tour or Hue Street Food Tour.
