The history of the formation of Dong Ba Market
The history of the formation of Dong Ba Market
There is a market with a history that predates even the Imperial City of Hue...
Today, it is a spacious and iconic landmark of Hue tourism, located right next to (both geographically and symbolically) the Truong Tien Bridge.
In the first year of Emperor Gia Long’s reign (1802), near the current location of Dong Ba Market (inside Phan Dang Luu Street), there was a market named Qui Giả Thị ("The Market of Those Who Returned," as the French called it: le Marché de ceux qui reviennent). The market’s name marked the return of Nguyen Dynasty troops and officials to Phu Xuan.
Before that, the Nguyen lords had been forced to flee by the Tay Son army — a revolutionary force created by the people, aiming to reunify a country divided for centuries between the Nguyen lords in the South and the Trinh lords in the North. Although the Tay Son regime was short-lived due to the sudden death of its greatest general, Nguyen Hue (later Emperor Quang Trung), it left a powerful legacy.
Nguyen Hue famously defeated 300,000 Siamese troops and 250,000 Qing (Chinese) troops within just four years — with a much smaller army ( 100.000-110.000 ). His forces were especially known for their extreme discipline and astonishing speed. In fact, the Tay Son army is recognized as one of the fastest-moving armies in Ancient history, capable of marching over 100 kilometers per day — making it the second fastest in military history after the Mongol army of Genghis Khan.
During the turbulent rule of Quang Toan (Nguyen Hue's son), the country descended into chaos and people were scattered. It was only at the beginning of the Nguyen Dynasty that they returned and established Qui Giả Market. Nearly a century later, in the summer of 1885, the imperial capital fell, and the French burned the market to the ground. In 1887, Emperor Dong Khanh ordered the market to be rebuilt, featuring a central hall (dinh chợ) and surrounding stalls (quán chợ), and renamed it Dong Ba Market.
The shift to the current spot of Dong Ba Market
In 1899, as part of a broader Western-style urban renovation project, Emperor Thanh Thai moved Dong Ba Market to its current location on the banks of the Perfume River. The old market hall was converted into the Dong Ba Franco-Vietnamese School, where President Ho Chi Minh once attended primary school.
Incident of 2017
In 2017, the second floor of the market — once home to fabric sellers and tailors — was destroyed in a fire. The area has since been redeveloped into a café that remains popular today.
End
Dong Ba Market is beloved by locals as a place where one can find all sorts of rare ingredients that are difficult to source elsewhere. It was once notorious for overcharging customers — locals too— but recent government crackdowns have effectively put an end to this. Today, vendors who are caught overpricing risk losing their selling space immediately. Thanks to these strict regulations, more and more locals are returning to shop at the market.
Discover our cooking class experience, where we'll take you to choose ingredients at Dong Ba market.
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