How to Shop for Unique Souvenirs in Ho Chi Minh City

As a cultural and historical hub, Ho Chi Minh City stands proud of its heritage and place in Vietnamese history. This city has been blessed with plenty of natural resources, waterways, and the largest population in all of Vietnam. As a city that has everything, Ho Chi Minh has a vast array of souvenir options and other experiences for travellers of every nature. 

Exploring Local Vietnamese Markets

The best way to dive straight into Vietnamese culture and bring a large volume of local souvenirs is by visiting the local markets. These markets are designed to keep you entertained and present a large number of high quality authentic Vietnamese souvenirs. Asian countries in general have markets where you can bargain and negotiate with the sellers in order to reach a price that fits both parties, this process can be a beautiful memento of your experiences in Vietnam as well. 

Saigon Square - This market is popular because of the more modern and trendy assortment of items available. This market is quite close to serviced apartments in Ho Chi Minh City such as the Somerset Chancellor Court Ho Chi Minh City making it a fairly busy area.

Ben Thanh Market - This market is better for tourists because it has a large volume of products such as ceramics, clothing, lacquerware, and textiles, providing a more authentic experience of a Vietnamese market.

Acquainting Yourself with Vietnamese Art

Vietnamese art, designs, and handicrafts are carefully crafted with very unique techniques and a lot of care. Each design carries a sense of Vietnamese warmth, setting itself up to be a beautiful reminder of your time in Vietnam. For art enthusiasts, Vietnam offers a wide range of abstract, contemporary, and traditional art pieces for sale, each artwork carries its own personality and weight making it a must-have for anyone planning to bring something back home from Vietnam.

Silk Paintings - Vietnam is very popular for one of its more unique forms of artwork, silk paintings. These paintings require a high level of skill and a keen attention to detail in order to capture the essence of the muse. 

Calligraphy - Written on rice paper, Vietnamese calligraphy offers the chance to take back something that could be catered specifically for you. You could have the opportunity to inscribe something that means a lot to you, making this souvenir unique and sentimental as well. 

Taking Back Some Flavours of Vietnam

The other option is to acquaint yourself with the bold and vibrant flavours of Vietnam giving you yet another pathway to explore. There are various ingredients, dishes, and products that you can find in Vietnamese convenience stores that you can take back home to add a touch of Vietnam to your day-to-day cuisine. This is a very popular option due to the rising popularity of frozen dishes that can be reheated, making authentic Vietnamese dishes such as Pho transportable as long as you have a cooler. Alternatively, Vietnamese fruits and vegetables are the next best option, this option is more economical as well.

Unearthing Vietnamese Antiques

For history lovers, Vietnamese history is vast and very rich, leaving behind plenty of antiques, artefacts, and relics behind. For treasure hunters and antique item collectors, Vietnam will add a touch of elegance and pristine to your collection, due to the refined production and preservation techniques used to take care of the Vietnamese antiques. 

Le Cong Kieu Street - This street is a must-visit location for any and every history buff going through Ho Chi Minh City. The sheer volume of history and culture available on this street will provide you with a fresh perspective on the brilliance of Vietnamese designs.

Vintage Decor - Most antique shops have pieces of memorabilia and items of decor representing eras that have been long forgotten.