Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City
Encyclopedia
Chợ Lớn is a Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City
(former Saigon). It is the largest Chinatown
in Vietnam
. It lies on the west bank of the Saigon River
, having Binh Tay Market
as its central market. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6.
The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" "market" . The Chinese
name (and original name) of Cholon is 堤岸 ' onMouseout='HidePop("60181")' href="/topics/Standard_Mandarin">Mandarin
, which means "embankment" (French: quais). The Vietnamese reading of the Chinese name is , but this is rarely used. Vietnamese speakers exclusively use the name , while Chinese speakers (both inside Vietnam and in China) are the only users of the latter.
In 1778, the Hoa (Chinese minority of Vietnam) living in Bien Hoa
had to take refuge in what is now Cholon because they were retaliated against by the Tây Sơn forces for their support of the Nguyễn Lords. In 1782, they were again massacred by the Tây Sơn and had to rebuild. They built high embankments against the flows of the river, and called their new settlement Tai-Ngon (meaning "embankment" in Cantonese).
Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, the two cities were merged to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon.
During the Vietnam War
, soldiers and deserters from the United States Army
maintained a thriving black market at Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.
Today, Cholon especially attracts many Mainland Chinese
and Taiwan
ese tourists.
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
(former Saigon). It is the largest Chinatown
Chinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. It lies on the west bank of the Saigon River
Saigon River
The Saigon River is a river located in southern Vietnam that rises near Phum Daung in southeastern Cambodia, flows south and south-southeast for about 140 miles and empties into the Nha Be River, which in its turn empties into the South China Sea some 20 km north-east of the Mekong Delta.The...
, having Binh Tay Market
Binh Tay Market
Binh Tay Market is the Central Market of Cho Lon in District 6, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Local Vietnamese refer to it as Chợ Lớn, while local Vietnamese-Chinese refer it as 堤岸 - 新街市 "The New Market of Chợ Lớn", and the Chinese other than those living in Vietnam known it only as 堤岸 ."The Old...
as its central market. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6.
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
name (and original name) of Cholon is 堤岸 ' onMouseout='HidePop("60181")' href="/topics/Standard_Mandarin">Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
, which means "embankment" (French: quais). The Vietnamese reading of the Chinese name is , but this is rarely used. Vietnamese speakers exclusively use the name , while Chinese speakers (both inside Vietnam and in China) are the only users of the latter.
In 1778, the Hoa (Chinese minority of Vietnam) living in Bien Hoa
Bien Hoa
Biên Hòa is a city in Dong Nai province, Vietnam, about east of Ho Chi Minh City , to which Bien Hoa is linked by Vietnam Highway 1.- Demographics :In 1989 the estimated population was over 300,000. In 2005, the population wss 541,495...
had to take refuge in what is now Cholon because they were retaliated against by the Tây Sơn forces for their support of the Nguyễn Lords. In 1782, they were again massacred by the Tây Sơn and had to rebuild. They built high embankments against the flows of the river, and called their new settlement Tai-Ngon (meaning "embankment" in Cantonese).
Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, the two cities were merged to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon.
During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, soldiers and deserters from the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
maintained a thriving black market at Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.
Today, Cholon especially attracts many Mainland Chinese
Mainland Chinese
Mainland Chinese or Mainlanders are Chinese people who live in a region considered a "mainland". It is frequently used in the context of areas ruled by the People's Republic of China, referring to people from Mainland China as opposed to other areas controlled by the state such as Hong Kong or...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese tourists.
Notable residents
- Yvon PetraYvon PetraYvon Petra was a French male tennis player. He was born in Cholon, Vietnam. He is best remembered as the last Frenchman to win the Wimbledon championships men's singles title in 1946, beating Geoff Brown in five sets in the final...
- He was born in Cholon. He is best remembered as the last Frenchman to win the Wimbledon championships men's singles title in 1946. - Cao Văn ViênCao Van VienCao Văn Viên was a Vietnamese soldier who served in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and rose to the position of Chairman of the South Vietnamese Joint General Staff...
- Chief of the Joint General Staff of the Army of the Republic of VietnamArmy of the Republic of VietnamThe Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
from 1966 to 1975.
See also
- Quan Am Pagoda
- Thien Hau TempleThien Hau Temple, Ho Chi Minh CityChùa Bà Thiên Hậu is a Chinese style temple located on Nguyen Trai Street in the Cho Lon district of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam...