What Specialties Should You Not Miss at Bai Chay Night Market in Ha Long?

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam's precious gem, has long captivated hearts with its enchanting beauty, featuring 1,900 large and small islands scattered across the azure sea. Beyond the natural scenery, your journey to Ha Long won't be complete if you miss a vibrant and colorful spot—the Bai Chay Night Market.

As night falls, under the shimmering and radiant lights, a different side of Ha Long emerges within the night market. Visitors can indulge in a variety of delicious seafood, immerse themselves in the bustling atmosphere of local vendors, and shop for unique souvenirs. So, what does Bai Chay Night Market offer? Let's explore with Vietjet through the article below!

Ha Long at night glistening under colorful lights.

1. Where is Bai Chay Night Market?

Bai Chay Night Market, also known as Ha Long Night Market, originated as a small market and was officially developed into a spacious and elegant night market covering 5,000m² in 2015. Since its opening, the night market has become an ideal evening spot for both locals and international tourists.

Not only does Bai Chay Night Market feature a diverse array of stalls and activities, but it also boasts a prime coastal location, close to Ha Long City's main traffic artery, making it convenient for visitors to explore and enjoy the fresh air while shopping.

From late afternoon, stalls at Bai Chay Night Market in Ha Long begin displaying their products to welcome customers.

Address: Ha Long Night Market, Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Hung Thang Ward, Ha Long City
Operating Hours: 5 PM - 11 PM on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays every week.

2. What’s at Bai Chay Night Market?

Many might wonder what makes Bai Chay Night Market so irresistible. Spanning a total area of up to 5,000m², Bai Chay Night Market offers a spacious and airy environment to cater to shoppers' needs. The market consists of two floors with over 335 stalls, selling everything from unique culinary delights and Ha Long Bay specialties to souvenirs and handicrafts.

First Floor: Displays souvenirs, handbags, toys, and handicrafts.
Second Floor: Features food stalls, cuisine, and Ha Long Bay specialties.

2.1 Exploring the Culinary Offerings at Bai Chay Night Market

Food enthusiasts dining at Bai Chay Night Market need not worry about a lack of delicious options. As a coastal city, Ha Long is renowned for its seafood dishes and a variety of enticing snacks with diverse flavors.

Squid Meat Banh Cuon: A rustic and familiar dish, but in Ha Long, banh cuon is enhanced with the region's specialty—squid meat. Similar to traditional banh cuon, it is served with Vietnamese ham, fried onions, wood ear mushrooms, and a flavorful dipping sauce. The unique aspect is the golden-fried squid meat balls, offering a sweet and savory seafood flavor when paired with the rice rolls.
Ha Long Tran Chau Yogurt: A dessert and snack specialty of Ha Long, this yogurt is appealing with its tangy freshness, chewy tapioca pearls, and crunchy texture. It can be enjoyed with various fruits, coconut flakes, and other flavors.
Seafood Dishes: With abundant and diverse seafood resources, dishes made from seafood are regional specialties that visitors cannot resist. From marinated and grilled items like grilled oysters, spicy octopus, grilled squid, and shrimp in sauce, to other enticing dishes like raw blood pudding (tiet canh sam), stir-fried jellyfish (sam xao la lot), and squid cakes (cha sam), there’s something for every palate.

What Specialties Should You Not Miss at Bai Chay Night Market in Ha Long?

Ngan is a seafood specialty from Ha Long Bay, known for its sweet and nutritious flavor.

Ha Long Ngan Porridge: Ngan, a specialty seafood of Ha Long Bay, resembles clams (ngheu) in appearance and taste but is more nutritious, pricier, and rarer. The ngan porridge is prepared uniquely by the locals, offering a fragrant and sweet flavor, served with fried onions, scallions, and ground pepper. Besides porridge, ngan can also be made into ngan wine, steamed ngan, and ngan cooked with jute leaves (mong toi).

Additionally, visitors can enjoy other unique treats at Bai Chay Night Market such as glutinous rice balls, mixed sweet soup, sticky rice cakes, fried spring rolls (nem ran), and dumplings (banh goi).

2.2 Must-Have Souvenirs from Bai Chay Night Market

On the first floor of Bai Chay Night Market, visitors can purchase souvenirs, plush toys, handbags, and handcrafted goods to gift to loved ones after a trip to Ha Long. Some souvenir items include:

Handicrafts Made from Shells: Wind chimes, accessories, pearl necklaces, keychains, lacquer paintings, etc.

What Specialties Should You Not Miss at Bai Chay Night Market in Ha Long?

Pearls farmed and harvested in Ha Long are refined into beautiful necklaces, perfect as gifts for loved ones.

Tho Cam (Ethnic Brocade): Tho cam garments, tho cam handbags, and tho cam fabrics woven by artisans are extremely beautiful and eye-catching.
Ha Long Specialties: Visitors can also find some local specialties to take home as gifts, such as dried seafood, shrimp paste (ruoc tom), dried squid (sa sung), yellow croaker (ca chi vang), and squid cakes (cha muc).

2.3 Nearby Attractions to Combine with a Visit to Bai Chay Night Market

Ha Long Old Quarter: Blending traditional and modern styles, Ha Long Old Quarter attracts a large number of tourists every time they visit the beautiful coastal city. Here, visitors can freely take photos at various locations that bear historical marks, antique beauty, and uniqueness.
Bai Chay Western Street: In contrast to the Old Quarter, Bai Chay Western Street features modern colors with colorful buildings reminiscent of a European town. This area is home to many cafes and offers numerous photo-worthy spots for visitors to capture Instagrammable moments.

What Specialties Should You Not Miss at Bai Chay Night Market in Ha Long?

Bai Chay Bridge at night is brilliantly lit with vibrant colors, resembling a silk ribbon stretching across Cua Luc Bay.

Bai Chay Bridge: Bai Chay Bridge connects two tourist spots, Bai Chay and Hon Gai, extending towards Ha Long Bay. The bridge stretches up to 2,487 meters long and resembles a horizontal bridge across the river with a massive suspension system. Its unique and majestic architecture leaves a lasting impression on all who see it.

3. Important Tips for Exploring Bai Chay Night Market in Ha Long

Ha Long Bay is a popular tourist destination frequently visited by both domestic and international travelers. Therefore, when planning a trip with Bai Chay Night Market as a destination, visitors should keep the following points in mind to ensure a smooth experience:

Bargaining: It’s advisable to negotiate prices before purchasing items, as this is a tourist city where prices might be higher than usual. Budget accordingly to avoid overpaying.
Comfortable Footwear: Bai Chay Night Market covers a large area, so wearing comfortable shoes or sandals is recommended to prevent foot pain while exploring the market.
Safety Precautions: With large crowds and bustling entrances and exits, visitors should be cautious and safeguard their belongings to prevent pickpocketing.
Best Time to Visit: The optimal time to visit Ha Long is from April to June when the weather is less rainy, not excessively hot, and pleasant for walking around, sightseeing, and enjoying the beaches and islands.

When visiting Ha Long, besides relaxing amidst the stunning natural seascapes, tourists can also enjoy unique local cuisine. With information about Bai Chay Night Market, Vietjet hopes to provide ideal destination suggestions for your upcoming trip to Ha Long Bay with family, friends, and loved ones. Moreover, if you’ve already fallen in love with the allure of Ha Long’s sea breeze, you can plan to purchase flights to Ha Long early with Vietjet to receive attractive flight deals. Particularly, Vietjet offers exclusive time slots with 0 VND flight tickets daily between 12 PM - 2 PM for you to grab HERE.

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