Hello everyone, Cuồng is back! Today Cuồng will take you to a famous tourist destination in Nha Trang with a diverse range of products. Can you guess where? It’s none other than Dam Market! And today Cuồng will help you get the most comprehensive view of shopping and dining when traveling to Nha Trang.
1. Where is this place located?
Dam Market is the central market of the coastal city of Nha Trang, located in Van Thanh ward, Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa. It is a beautiful and unique architectural work. Dam Market is the largest market and also the commercial symbol of this coastal city. It is a shopping center and one of the famous tourist destinations in Nha Trang. Not only that, Dam Market is known as a lively and bustling market, not only a trading center but also a familiar place for tourists to buy specialties and souvenirs before leaving Nha Trang.
A few words about Dam Market Nha Trang.
Although it’s called Dam Market, it doesn’t only sell dresses and gowns, my friends. Cuồng has to clarify beforehand so you don’t think this market only sells dresses and gowns! The name Dam Market comes from the fact that the market was built on the site of an old pond. This pond is 7 hectares wide and connects to the Nha Trang River under Ha Ra Bridge, so it’s also called Cua Market.
Unique architecture and design inside Cho Dam Market.
In 1961, the Khanh Hoa Architecture Department proposed a general project to re-plan this market area, building a round market to replace the old one. The preliminary project was sketched by architect Le Anh Kim.
In 1964, the General Architecture Department established another project proposed by architect Le Quy Phong, the main part of the project was to build a round market with a folded roof and a wing-shaped branch. This project was considered the core for the construction of the market later on.
On the night of September 16, 1968, a large fire broke out causing damage to 126 houses, the situation became urgent for a large-scale market construction project, with the support of many departments filling the entire dam, building a new market along with two shops and apartments, rebuilding roads, drainage systems, etc…
On April 12, 1969, the first inauguration day of the plan was considered. After 6 months, the dam was completely filled with 350,000m3 of blown sand. The next step was to create the foundation, build the structure, and thousands of 20m long reinforced concrete piles were driven down through the muddy layer.
The main house in the center of the market was built in a circular shape, with a V-shaped roof symbolizing lotus flowers and petals, the diameter of the house is 66.5m, with a mezzanine floor in a fan shape, off-center.
The total area of both the ground floor and the mezzanine floor is up to 5,270m2, capable of accommodating over 3,000 customers for buying and selling at the same time. Adjacent to the circular house are two 4-story high-rise buildings A and B, with the ground floor being a market, and the upper floors being apartments built in a curved line enveloping the outer rim of the circular house.
Each high-rise building has an area of over 2,500 to over 2,800m2, designed to be spacious and elegant. These two high-rise buildings were started construction in early 1970 and completed by the end of 1972. The circular house and the entire market area were completed and put into use in 1974.
Unfortunately, not long after being put into use, in late March 1975, before the advance and uprising of our army and people, the ARVN troops withdrew from the Central Highlands and other places and openly looted and set fire to Dam Market. The circular house, like a large lotus flower blooming in the heart of the city, was darkened, collapsed, heavily damaged, and no longer usable.
Dam Market continued to operate, but its beauty and order deteriorated significantly. A plan to renovate the entire circular house and the overall planning of the market area was constructed and implemented with the participation of the Institute of Construction Design and the Provincial Construction Company.
On February 3, 1980, on the occasion of the anniversary of the establishment of the Communist Party of Vietnam and to celebrate the Lunar New Year of Canh Thân, the official opening ceremony of the General Grocery Store at Cho Dam Market was held. The store occupies the entire two floors of the round house, which has been renovated to be more magnificent and beautiful than before. The event was organized ceremoniously with many dignitaries from both inside and outside the province, along with thousands of people attending.
This new market area is built in the shape of a lotus flower with a diameter of 66.5m. The total area of the ground floor and upper floor is 5270 m2, accommodating over 3000 people. This is the architectural design of Cho Dam Market today. It continues to operate and develop in a bustling and large-scale manner.
Moreover, if you have the opportunity to fly from the capital Hanoi to Nha Trang, look down from above and you will see the entire city resembling a large flower placed by the blue sea. You will notice that within this flower, there is a blooming lotus flower, which is Cho Dam Market. The position of the lotus flower is near the center of the dam from decades ago.
2. How to get there? (directions)
Cho Dam Market is about 2km away from the city center of Nha Trang, making it very convenient for visitors to travel to this Nha Trang tourist destination. To help you locate Cho Dam Market, Cuong will provide directions from Nha Trang Center, another popular shopping and tourist destination in the coastal city of Nha Trang, which is only about 1.2 km away from Cho Dam Market.
- Walking: To walk from Nha Trang Center to Cho Dam Market, head down Tran Phu Street towards Tran Phu Bridge, then turn left onto Yersin Street. From there, walk about 240m and then turn right onto Hoang Hoa Tham Street. Continue straight on Hoang Hoa Tham Street, then onto Le Loi Street, and after about 30m, you will see Cho Dam Market right in front of you. The total distance is about 1.1 km and will take you around 13-15 minutes to walk, which is quite common and easy in Nha Trang according to Cuong.
- Car: For those driving, there are two routes to choose from, both differing by only 100m in distance and taking about 5 minutes. Let’s go!
- Route 1: From Nha Trang Center, head down Tran Phu Street towards Tram Huong Tower, then turn right onto Ly Tu Trong Street. Walk about 250m and then turn right onto Hoang Hoa Tham Street, continue straight for about 800m, and you will see Cho Dam Market in front of you.
- Route 2: Similar to Route 1 initially, but instead of turning onto Hoang Hoa Tham Street, turn right onto Tran Hung Dao Street. From there, continue straight onto Pasteur Street, then turn left onto Han Thuyen Street. At the end of Han Thuyen Street, you will reach a roundabout. Follow the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Le Loi Street. Continue straight on Le Loi Street, and you will see Cho Dam Market at the end of the street in front of you.
- Motorbike: For motorbikes, it’s similar to cars, but Cuong believes that using a motorbike will be faster and more convenient than a car. It’s easier to find parking spots, and you won’t have to spend as much time in traffic as with a car.
- Bus, Grab, and Taxi: Buses, taxis, and Grab are three common public transportation options you can use to get to Cho Dam Market, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Buses may be crowded and prone to unfortunate incidents, while taxis and Grab may be slightly more expensive. Each option has its own benefits for you to choose from.
4. What does Cho Dam market offer?
Cuong really enjoys the trading atmosphere here, both indoors and outdoors. Almost every item can be found at Cho Dam market, with a wide variety of goods. It is divided into 3 areas including the central area, the left wing, and the right wing. The central area of Cho Dam market offers a wide range of essential household products and goods. Outside the market, there are two wings housing the Cho Dam Nha Trang apartment buildings and stalls selling souvenirs, dried seafood, grilled nem,…
- Central area:Primarily serving the daily needs of Khanh Hoa residents, this area sells essential items such as clothing, various electronic toys, shoes, and clothes. Additionally, there are souvenir stalls selling items like bracelets, paintings, handicrafts like bags, hats featuring beautiful images of Nha Trang.
- Left Wing Area:This is the area specialized in selling fresh products to dried goods, specialties of Nha Trang such as squid, octopus, tuna, mackerel, crab, stingray, shrimp, dried squid, tamarind squid, dried shrimp processed with characteristic sea flavors, attracting tourists to enjoy. The fresh seafood here is still new and very fresh so you can rest assured when choosing seafood items. This is also a place that supplies wholesale seafood to nearby markets so you don’t need to go far to choose seafood. If you want to buy gifts, you just need to come to Dam market and choose from a variety of fresh and delicious dried specialties here.
- Right-wing area:Specializes in various types of cakes such as rice paper cakes, mango cakes, Ninh Hoa nem, green chili salt, fish cake, various fish sauces including Nha Trang fish sauce 584, you can stop by to buy and bring home for your family. In addition, this area also sells foods like fish noodle soup, fish cake noodle soup, nem… for tourists to enjoy and experience the soul of the coastal village market here. This area usually attracts the attention of young tourists. They are all eager to taste the simple dishes that carry the essence of Nha Trang sea. After a tour around the market, when your feet are tired and you are exhausted, you can visit the eateries and stalls here to enjoy delicious flavors. The delicious local specialties are irresistible. You can rest assured because the food here is very safe and clean, and the food area of Dam market has been certified for food safety, so there is nothing to worry about.
- Parking lot and entrance:This area of the Cho Dam market is arranged very reasonably to fit the architecture of the entire market. If you look down from above, you will see that Cho Dam market has the shape of a lotus flower.
- Cân Đối Chứng: There is a huge plus point for Cho Dam Market that Cuong really likes when shopping here, which is the safety aspect. At the beginning of the areas selling dried seafood and fruits, there are balance scales placed to help Cuong check if the weight of the goods he buys is accurate or not, in order to promptly report to the Market Management Board in case of any violations of business regulations. In addition, there are hotline numbers in the market’s alleys so that people can feel more secure if conflicts arise between buyers and sellers or in other unfortunate situations, there will be assistance from the authorities. This not only creates peace of mind and trust for tourists visiting Cho Dam Market, but also contributes to building a modern and civilized image for this iconic market of the coastal city of Nha Trang.
5. How to Eat?
Cho Dam Market is a large market near the center of Nha Trang, so this is also a culinary cradle of Nha Trang for you to explore and experience. However, when it comes to the specialties of Cho Dam Market in Nha Trang and Nha Trang’s specialties in general, dishes made from dried seafood are one of the factors that you should not miss, right?
Dried seafood is a culinary specialty at Cho Dam Market in Nha Trang, besides the delicious aroma, this is also a souvenir from Nha Trang that you can buy as a gift for your loved ones. There are many areas selling dried seafood in Cho Dam Market, but based on Cuong’s experience of going to Cho Dam Market in Nha Trang before, you should choose places with long-standing reputation or family businesses, the better.
If you are unsure, you can ask the locals around the area because the people here are very honest, simple, and hospitable. The variety is extremely diverse for you to choose from, such as dried squid, dried cuttlefish, dried mantis shrimp, dried barracuda, dried horse mackerel, dried shrimp, dried leatherjacket fish,… are all specialties of Cho Dam Market in Nha Trang and the specialties of the entire coastal city of Nha Trang. Depending on the time you go, there are many affordable dishes at the entrance of the market, but Cuong recommends going in the morning or afternoon because at these times of the day in Cho Dam Market, there will be a variety of dishes for you to enjoy more like the following dishes.
- Bún sứa: Bún sứa is a noodle dish made from crispy jellyfish pieces combined with fish cake in a sweet and savory broth. When eating, you can pick up the jellyfish separately and dip it in chili fish sauce to better appreciate the freshness and deliciousness of the jellyfish. It sounds like making bún sứa must be very difficult, right? However, in reality, preparing this dish is not too complicated. The fresh jellyfish caught by fishermen from distant islands are cleaned, processed according to specific techniques and experiences. The jellyfish used to make this specialty noodle dish are usually small, opaque white, and thick. The broth served with bún sứa is not made from bones or meat but from sea fish… including lizardfish – a small boneless fish that makes the broth fragrant and sweet. The bowl of bún sứa also includes fish cake made from famous delicious seafood such as tuna, mackerel… They are deboned to extract the fish meat, then minced and molded into small balls, steamed to retain the original flavor. Bún sứa is known for its rich sea flavor as most of the ingredients used in the preparation and the salty, sweet taste of the dish come from various seafood, with limited use of spices. The broth of bún sứa is clear, not greasy, fatty, with a fresh and sweet taste, perfect for hot weather. When enjoying, simply take the blanched noodles into a bowl, add the crispy jellyfish on top, along with a few fish cake balls, pour the hot broth, add some bean sprouts, fresh green vegetables.
- Nem Ninh Hòa: Nem Ninh Hòa has long been a delicious dish in Nha Trang that anyone who comes here must try at least once and also bring back as a gift for family and friends. This famous grilled pork roll has become a brand for the land of Ninh Hòa – Nha Trang thanks to the unique preparation method of the locals and its distinctive flavor that is hard to find anywhere else. There are two types of Nem Ninh Hòa that you can try: fermented pork roll and grilled pork roll.The fermented pork roll is already very famous. This dish, with its sour and crunchy taste, often appears on the banquet tables of Central Vietnamese people and is served with pork sausage. As for the grilled pork roll, it is not too unfamiliar, but once it carries the Ninh Hòa brand, the preparation method will be different, following the unique recipe of the region, so you definitely have to try it.
- Bánh canh chả cá: If Hanoi has the famous Cha Ca La Vong dish, then in Nha Trang there is the Banh Canh Cha Ca dish that creates a distinctive feature of Nha Trang cuisine, making every visitor curious every time they visit.The main ingredients to make Banh Canh are rice flour or tapioca flour, fresh fish, and fish cake. The fish used in Banh Canh must be large, firm, and must ensure freshness. The best fish cake is made from a mixture of tuna meat and fresh mackerel, delicious, chewy, and eye-catching. After cleaning, all the meat is minced to make the fish cake, using the bones to make the broth.Nha Trang Banh Canh is particularly famous for its delicious aroma, thanks to the secret of the naturally sweet and clear broth, just like fish soup that is as clear as seawater. Every evening, Banh Canh and fish noodle soup are served, with a plate of golden fried fish cake, a steamed fish cake tray glistening yellow, a small bowl of finely chopped scallions, a bowl of crispy fried shallots, alongside a plate of sliced lemons and a bowl of thick garlic chili fish sauce. Holding a steaming bowl of Banh Canh in your hand, the faint aroma of scallions mixed with the rich flavor of fish cake makes it hard to resist. Taking a sip of the broth to feel the sweet and clear taste, picking up a slice of fish cake dipped in the chili sauce, then putting it in your mouth, the tender and chewy fish meat, the spicy and flavorful chili sauce is both delightful and makes you want to praise its deliciousness. Oh my, it sounds so tempting. Although it is special, for the people of Nha Trang, Banh Canh Cha Ca is a familiar and popular dish in their daily meals, while for distant travelers, those who have had the chance to taste it surely cannot forget the sweet taste of the broth, the fragrant scent of scallions, and the hint of the sea mixed in the fish meat of this famous Nha Trang specialty dish.
- Bánh Tráng Xoài:Bánh Tráng Xoài is a delicious dish from Nha Trang that you can only find with its true taste in Nha Trang. This dish is not the typical rice paper mixed with shredded mango like the famous snack in Saigon, but it uses mango as the main ingredient along with the usual rice paper to create Bánh Tráng Xoài.A delicious Bánh Tráng Xoài should have a golden yellow color, not too dark or too light, easy to tear, and not overly sweet from sugar. This famous dish from Nha Trang first appeared in the Cam Ranh area, Khanh Hoa – known as the land of mangoes. Due to an abundance of ripe mangoes that couldn’t be sold in time, locals came up with the idea of using mangoes to make rice paper, which helps preserve them longer while maintaining the delicious and unique flavor of mangoes. Why not end your food tour at Cho Dam Nha Trang with a taste of Bánh Tráng Xoài? Cuong guarantees it won’t disappoint you.
6. Nearby Tourist Attractions
To make our trip less boring, why not combine your day trip with some of the tourist attractions in Nha Trang below.
Tháp Bà PoNagar: Tháp Bà PoNagar is a famous Nha Trang tourist destination located to the north of the city, at the foot of the Xom Bong bridge (parallel to the Tran Phu bridge) where it intersects with Thap Ba street. Just mentioning this place, many of you will smile at the name, right! Don’t misunderstand because the name Xom Bong is actually named after the dance style of the people here, not like a 3D boarding house.Thap Ba Ponagar is located on Cu Lao hill, next to Cai river mouth, only about 2km north of the city center and about 4km from the central beach of Nha Trang city.
Therefore, Thap Ba Ponagar naturally becomes a famous Nha Trang tourist destination attracting many visitors to visit and pray for a prosperous and peaceful life.Thap Ba Ponagar Nha Trang is often referred to by locals as Thap Ba for short. So if you go on a Nha Trang tour and want to visit this Nha Trang tourist destination, just ask the locals for directions to Thap Ba and they will guide you right away.
Thap Ba Pangar, built by the Cham people, is located on a hilltop right next to the mouth of the Cai river – the largest river in Nha Trang, overlooking the Xom Bong bridge. If you visit the tower and are lucky, you will have the opportunity to enjoy this dance performed by Cham actors, which is very unique.With a ticket price of only 22k/person, Cuong thinks this is also one of the Nha Trang tourist destinations that you can visit.
Hòn Chồng: When you visit Nha Trang, don’t miss the chance to take some trendy photos at Hon Chong. Hon Chong is located about 4km northeast of Nha Trang city center, along Tran Phu Street, straight across Tran Phu Bridge to Pham Van Dong Street. Just a short walk and you will find the Hon Chong tourist site on your right!!! The rock formation at Hon Chong in Nha Trang consists of large rocks stacked on top of each other for generations. This rock formation has long been a popular spot for tourists visiting Nha Trang tourism.
When you are here, you can feel Hon Chong as the meeting point between the mountains and the sea, with the horizon in the distance like a line separating the sky and the sea from each other, and just a few steps away, tourists can reach the sea or the foot of the hill. When you come here, you will hear many fascinating stories about this rock formation amidst a beautiful and charming natural landscape. The most peculiar feature at the Hon Chong tourist site is the image of a rock with five giant finger marks deeply engraved on the highest rock like a guardhouse on the highest peak.
Local people in this Nha Trang tourism spot often pass on mysterious legends that no scientist or explorer can explain. Currently, this Hon Chong tourist site is one of the rare and outstanding tourist destinations in Khanh Hoa province.
7. Notes for a fun visit here
Although Dam Market has become a commercial center, it is still a bustling place for shopping and exchanging goods. You should pay attention to your belongings to prevent any unfortunate incidents.
Regarding prices, you should be cautious to become a smart shopper and avoid overpaying. Although the people of Nha Trang are friendly and hospitable, there are still some who may take advantage, so it’s best to be cautious.
Currently, there is a lot of counterfeit goods from China flooding the market, so you must be very careful. Even ink can be fake, so be careful not to accidentally buy fake ink or rubber ink from China, as it would be a waste of money.
Dam Market sells a lot of technology products and watches with attractive designs but at very high prices. Furthermore, these items are all counterfeit goods originating from China, so there is no point in buying them.
So we have covered Dam Market. Cuong hopes that through this guide, you have prepared enough tools to hunt for beautiful items and delicious dishes at Dam Market. If you need more information about Nha Trang tourism or any other travel destinations, feel free to leave a comment for Cuong. Thank you for watching the video. Now, goodbye and see you again. And don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to the channel for more useful travel information.
