Nguyen Hoang Night Market / Hội An Night Market @ Vietnam

I am usually excited when it comes to night markets since they feel like a pathway full of surprises; showcasing products that I might not be acquainted with in our little red dot! 

Furthermore, I love to soak in the crowded, noisy atmosphere. And occasionally partake in light bargaining with the stall operators, in seek of better deal that could be very therapeutic for mental health.

First thing that hit us when we arrived at Nguyen Hoang Night Market (also known as Hội An Night Market) was this row of brightly lighted Vietnamese lanterns! Iconic they sure were but particularly relevant in Hoi An, which is popularly known as the City of Lanterns. 

Eventually dawned on me that it's a photo backdrop for visitors (initially thought it's a shop selling lanterns), and definitely not for free. I was wondering why not many people appeared to be using the lantern props! 

Alex wasn't in the mood to be my model and the backdrops were just too pretty to miss! I passed him my camera instead and to be honest, it would have been better if I were the photographer.

Pricing: 10,000 dong a person, which was less than Singapore 60 cents!

Overtaking a 10-meter wide road and stretched for less than 300 meters, the night market appeared to be way more crowded at the start. Many tour groups also seemed to use the entrance as a congregating point, contributing to the congestion. 

Tailend of the night market which was a lot quieter, and reserved for a few food stalls. With so many eateries to try in Hoi An, I honestly didn't have stomach space to squeeze in more food, especially when Alex was adamant in not sharing! 

Many stalls were selling the same kind of souvenirs and of similar designs; key chains, fridge magnets, holders made from bamboo, paintings, windchimes, dreamcatchers etc. I was telling Alex that there could only be a few key players monopolizing most of the stalls. 

I do like their eye catching coasters though; sadly, I have a lot at home and for those who have been to my humble abode before, I am not into wooden color when it comes to furnishing.

And would I need these faceless figurines in my house? 

They can be quite disturbing, especially at night.

Given the stress at work encountered by many of my colleagues, maybe I should buy the above for them! Known as Pop Fidget Toys, they were said to help "manage stress and anxiety".

Lego figurines, although they hailed from China! Thankfully, I am not so much into lego since the original brand was too expensive for my family to buy when I was a kid; hence, the interest never took root.

So cute! But I am not going to buy stuff to collect dust.

3D greeting cards.... while pretty, I am going to highlight the elephant in the room. How often do we receive greeting cards via snail mail nowadays? 

Whenever I see a pig figurine, I would make it a point to check if it is a piggy bank so that I can add on to my collection. Unfortunately, the above was an ashtray! :( 

Incense stick holder - dismembered hands aside, I was more concerned with the ash which would dirty the surroundings. In the past, I used to be crazy about scented incense sticks, until the arival of aromatherapy burners and scented candles.

One unique souvenir from Vietnam would be the non-la, leaf hat and the contemporary ones had beautiful patterns drawn / painted. I just wondered how people pack them in the luggage; they would have taken too much space, and you can't even fold them.  

Quite a number of stalls were selling branded yet fake luxury goods. Good thing I don't see the point of being decked out in branded stuff although I also can't afford them. With one wallet, I could have purchased a few tickets to Bangkok! 

I believe this was a designer bag too? 

Read from some websites that the rattan (I think) bags were also good as souvenirs for the ladies. This is something I wouldn't buy for my mom and sisters given how picky they are! 

A lot of tourists in Hoi An and Danang were wearing these brightly colored attire and it could be an entire group of them! Looked fun but not for me as I am a boring person when it comes to clothes; dark colors are preferred. 

Is Vietnam the main manufacturer for CROCs shoes? There were so many patterns and I am so tempted to ask for the pricing as original CROCs are so, so expensive! And I love wearing their shoes. p.s. another reason why I am not a fashionista.

Instead of KFC, it's KJU.

Go figure. Hahaha. 

Crochets! Only one stall; guess it just gained some popularity in Vietnam as it's a different situation in Singapore where there are many players, including tons of hobbyists and home-based establishments.

Luggage shop - would you buy a luggage when you are overseas? I am always worried that the quality is an issue; hence, I always prefer buying in Singapore for assurance. 

Food souvenirs, aplenty! I prefer to buy from those main markets that are more competitively priced, and since it's only day one of my trip, my intention was to buy from Danang.

Hungry for some snacks? 

Octopus legs looked so inviting! 

Lobster meal; frankly, I didn't know lobsters were that cheap until I was at a night market in Danang and a huge one was going for like S$30-S$40. In Singapore, it would have easily cost S$100-S$200.

Fancy grilled frogs (without their heads) instead? Not my cup of tea though; since they tasted like chicken, I am better off just having chicken. 

Street hawkers for fruits - knowing their penchant for quoting ridiculous prices, I didn't even bother checking even though I am a huge lover of mangosteens and custard apples. p.s. loving mangoes and bananas too! 

Durians, another love of mine. I haven't heard about Vietnamese durians but from the size; I am guessing they will be quite similar to Thai durians, which are different in texture from Malaysian durians. 

You can also get fruits and fruit juice from the same stall that sold the durians. A sugarcane juice cost just 15,000 dong (about S$0.80) even though fruit juices cost minimally 30,000 dong. 

Henna - maybe I should get it the next time since I doubt I would ever get a tattoo since I could never decide on a perfect design. If possible, I would like to get a sleeve tattoo; not sure if it would affect my work...

Religious paraphernalia; come to think about it, a gong would have been fun. Imagine using it to disturb Alex whenever he oversleeps!

Just wondering - are these aircraft models still hot in demand as a collectible nowadays?  I always think of them as more popular among the older generation. 

Ladies sandals and earrings. 

Flower hairbands, lighted wands, toys etc from roaming hawkers that also offered flying rotating LED lighted toy, flying birds. They are inexpensive and can indeed be quite fun. 

A nicer photo backdrop in the center of the night market that came with a Vespa motorbike! Maybe next time when I am back with my parents. 

Lastly, photographs of pet dogs I chanced upon at the night market! Even though Vietnam is still known for being dog eating nation, Hoi An actually closed its last dog meat restaurant at the end of 2023. Problem is; would the trade be driven underground instead? 

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Address

Nguyễn Hoàng, Phường Minh An, 

Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam

Map

As above. 

Operating Hours

5.00 pm to 11.00 pm (Daily)

Click here for my 8 Days' Itinerary to Danang (The City of Bridges) & Hoi An (The City of Lanterns) in Vietnam