Ghost stories

In the heart of Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, lies the old and bustling Ba Chieu Market — a place teeming with life by day, but eerily silent by night. Amidst the whispers of vendors and rustling of old tarps, locals still talk about the ghost of a woman who never left the market... even in death.

The story dates back to the late 1980s, when a middle-aged woman named Co Hang sold vegetables at the market. She was known for her kindness, often giving away leftover produce to the poor. But business was tough, and her stall slowly lost customers to a rival vendor who spread rumors about her using "bua ngai" (black magic).

One stormy night, after a heated argument, Co Hang collapsed beside her stall — no one knows if it was a heart attack, a curse, or something more sinister. By morning, her body was cold, and her eyes were wide open… staring toward the rival stall across the aisle.

After her death, strange things began to happen.

Vendors who took over her spot complained of hearing whispers behind them, even when they were alone. Produce would rot overnight. A security guard claimed he saw a shadowy figure squatting by the stall at 2 a.m., humming a lullaby in the northern accent, even though Co Hang had been from the north.

One night, a new vendor laughed off the rumors and set up shop on Co Hang’s old mat. That same night, he woke up in terror, soaked in sweat, claiming he had been choked by invisible hands while a voice hissed in his ear:

“This is still my place.”

He never returned.

Now, her old spot remains unclaimed, out of superstition and fear. People walk around it, never stepping on her mat, which is still there — untouched, faded, but never moved.

And if you’re ever at Ba Chieu Market after dark, you might hear it too — the sound of someone sweeping the floor, softly humming a tune only she knows…

Would you like a version of this story in Vietnamese as well?