Which Hai Phong markets are worth visiting for street food, flowers, and local finds?
Head to Cat Bi Market for afternoon street food, Cho Hang for plants and secondhand treasures, or Ha Lung for fresh flowers in the early morning. For an evening stroll with food stalls and shopping, there's the new night street at 53 Lach Tray.
11 min read
Cat Bi remains an active neighbourhood market; the afternoon food stalls are its main draw for visitors.
Each market in Hai Phong peaks at a different hour. Cat Bi is best for street food in the afternoon but seafood shopping in the morning, Cho Hang comes alive on Sundays, and Ha Lung’s flower traders start their day long before sunrise.
Cat Bi Market - fresh seafood in the morning, street food in the afternoon
Cat Bi Market
Location: Around 34 Ly Hong Nhat Street, Hai An Ward, Hai Phong.
Ask someone in Hai Phong where to find good street food, and Cat Bi Market will probably come up. It changes completely between morning and afternoon.
In the morning, it is a neighborhood market where locals buy ingredients for everyday cooking. By late afternoon, the food stalls become the main attraction, filling the narrow aisles with people looking for a snack.
Morning: shop like a local
Staying in an apartment with a kitchen? Cat Bi Market is a good place to pick up ingredients for a homemade meal.
You’ll find stalls selling shrimp, crabs, fish, vegetables, and other everyday groceries. Some seafood is sold live, while other products are displayed on ice. The selection depends on the day’s deliveries and what is available at each stall.
Morning shopping here moves at a fairly quick pace. People know what they need, compare a few items, and get on with their day.
If you’re buying seafood, ask three things before paying: whether the price is per kilogram or per piece, whether the seafood is live or chilled, and whether the weight includes packaging or ties.
Prices vary by size, freshness, and daily supply, so there isn’t one reliable price that applies to every stall. Compare a few sellers before deciding.
With fresh seafood, finding something you’re happy to cook matters more than saving a tiny amount.
Afternoon: the street food stalls come alive
Some food stalls begin serving from around 10 AM, but 3 PM to 7 PM is generally the busiest period for Cat Bi’s street food area, especially on weekends.
Small tables sit close together, low stools fill the narrow spaces between stalls, and you eat shoulder to shoulder with the next table.
You’ll see local favorites such as banh beo (steamed rice cakes), stir-fried gia be (a local shellfish specialty), sweet dessert soups, and various noodle dishes.
During the busiest hours, you might need to wait for someone to finish eating before a seat becomes available.
To avoid the crowds, arrive around 2:30-3:30 PM, when seats are easier to find and you can choose your food without being rushed.
Individual stalls don’t all stay open until the market closes. Some vendors pack up as soon as their food sells out.
Parking: Look for a staffed motorcycle parking area near the market entrance and keep your parking ticket. It’s easier to walk into the food section than try to ride through the narrow aisles.
Cat Bi suits travelers who enjoy trying several local dishes in one visit, as well as anyone wanting to experience an ordinary neighborhood market in Hai Phong.
Cho Hang Market - a Sunday morning of plants and secondhand finds
Cho Hang Market
Location: Around Cho Hang Street and surrounding streets, Le Chan Ward, Hai Phong.
Cho Hang, also known as Hang Market, is quite different from a typical Vietnamese food market.
One moment you’re looking at flowering plants, and a few steps later you’re browsing birdcages, ceramic dishes, old electric fans, or household items that seem to have come from another decade.
You arrive without a shopping list and stop every few steps anyway.
When does Cho Hang Market take place?
Cho Hang is primarily a weekend market, with Sunday morning being its liveliest time.
Some vendors also set up on Saturdays, but the full market, with every row of stalls, is on Sunday.
Between 7 AM and 9 AM the stalls are set up and the day hasn’t turned hot yet.
Walking through all the sections takes most of a morning, so keep the rest of it free.
What can you buy at Cho Hang?
Plants are one of the market’s biggest draws. You’ll find potted flowers, ornamental plants, seedlings, and varieties suitable for gardens or balconies.
If something catches your eye, take a closer look before buying. Check whether the leaves look healthy, whether the soil and root ball are firm, and how much sunlight the plant needs.
A plant that thrives outdoors in Hai Phong’s climate might not survive in an air-conditioned hotel room or a dark apartment back home.
Apart from plants, the market has pet birds, ceramics, kitchenware, electric fans, secondhand appliances, and all kinds of household odds and ends.
In the secondhand section, some things still work well; others are old fans and dishes kept mostly for how they look.
Always ask the seller to demonstrate that electrical items work. Check the plug, cable, switches, and any unusual noises, and ask whether returns are possible.
Prices depend heavily on the item’s condition, age, and the seller. Since there is no standard price list for most secondhand goods, comparing a few stalls is a sensible approach.
Parking: Leave your motorcycle at a designated parking spot near the market and continue on foot. The stalls spread across several streets, so walking is much more convenient.
Cho Hang suits anyone into plants, vintage objects, local photography, or places where residents spend their weekends. Browsing without buying is normal here.
Ha Lung Flower Market - where Hai Phong’s day begins with flowers
Ha Lung Flower Market
Location: Ha Lung flower market area, Hai An Ward, Hai Phong.
This wholesale market is connected to Hai Phong’s long-established flower-growing community. Flowers arrive during the night, are sorted into bundles, and then make their way to shops and customers across the city.
Unlike a modern florist where everything is arranged into ready-made bouquets, Ha Lung focuses mainly on cut flowers.
Depending on the season, you may see chrysanthemums, roses, gladioli, and other varieties stacked in colorful rows.
What time does Ha Lung Flower Market open?
The market generally operates from around 2 AM until 10 AM daily, with increased activity around holidays, full-moon days, and Tet.
Individual stalls don’t all follow exactly the same schedule, so treat those hours as a general guide.
Unless you’re buying wholesale, arrive around sunrise.
The morning trade is still going, and daylight makes it much easier to see the flowers, inspect their condition, and appreciate the colors.
Flowers are typically sold by stem, bunch, or wholesale lot, depending on the vendor. If you only want a small quantity, ask whether the stall accepts retail purchases.
Prices change with the season, flower type, stem length, and demand. They can rise noticeably around major celebrations, so don’t assume that a price quoted online will still apply on your visit.
Tips for buying flowers at Ha Lung
Take a moment to check the petals, leaves, and stems. Avoid flowers with badly bruised petals, heavily wilted leaves, or damaged stems.
For flowers to use the same day, pick blooms that are already partly open. To keep flowers for several days, ask the vendor which stage of opening is best.
If you’re carrying several bunches over a longer distance, have the stems wrapped properly and keep them out of direct sunlight.
Fresh cut flowers are bulky and fragile, so they aren’t the most practical purchase if you still have a flight or a long train journey ahead.
Parking: Look for a suitable parking area outside the busiest loading sections. Early mornings can be particularly active with deliveries and flower transport.
Ha Lung trades wholesale throughout the year, outside the Tet flower season too, although the selection and activity levels change with the seasons.
After the administrative reorganization, the market falls within Hai An Ward. Older articles may still refer to its former administrative location in Dang Hai Ward, Hai An District.
Hai Phong night markets - what’s new at 53 Lach Tray?
53 Lach Tray
Location: 53 Lach Tray area, Gia Vien Ward, Hai Phong, stretching from Lach Tray Street toward the road along An Bien Lake.
For evening shopping and casual dining, one of Hai Phong’s newest destinations is the commercial, cultural, and food street at 53 Lach Tray.
The area officially opened on October 30, 2026, making it a very recent addition to the city’s evening attractions.
It has 52 commercial stalls, many designed around container-style structures, offering food, drinks, souvenirs, and other services.
The street sits near several recognizable local landmarks, including the Children’s Cultural Palace, the city’s Martyrs’ Monument, and the Vietnam-Czechoslovakia Friendship Labour Cultural Palace area.
53 Lach Tray is a planned space for shopping, casual dining, entertainment, and social activities. Nobody sells vegetables or fresh fish for dinner here.
For seafood to take home and cook, go to Cat Bi Market in the morning.
Parking and traffic arrangements have been planned for the area, so follow the on-site signs and staff instructions, especially during busy evenings.
Vendors are also required to display prices, so look at the board or ask before you order.
What about the Central Flower Garden night food street?
This is a separate location from 53 Lach Tray.
Hai Phong introduced a trial pedestrian food street around the central flower garden and the City Theatre area, operating on Friday and Saturday evenings between August 28 and October 24, 2026.
The trial period has ended. Under the original plan, local authorities would take over the area and continue activities according to an approved arrangement.
After October 24, check the latest operating schedule rather than assuming that all stalls are still open as they were during the trial.
Is Bach Dang Night Market in central Hai Phong?
Not in the old central Hai Phong area.
Bach Dang Night Market is located in the former Hai Duong City area, which became part of the expanded Hai Phong following the administrative merger.
Its weekend pedestrian street and night market officially opened in April 2023.
If you’re staying around Hai Phong’s City Theatre or Lach Tray Street, don’t confuse these two areas when checking directions.
Is the famous Cho Sat Market still open?
Cho Sat, or Iron Market, was once one of Hai Phong’s best-known trading centers.
For generations, it was associated with electronics, electrical equipment, tools, metal goods, and a wide range of other products.
However, the original Cho Sat building in central Hai Phong is no longer standing.
Trading at the old site ended in March 2022, when merchants were relocated ahead of demolition and redevelopment.
The former market building was subsequently demolished to make way for a commercial complex project.
This means you can no longer visit the original market building as the traditional shopping destination it used to be.
Where did Cho Sat’s vendors move?
Many traders relocated to a temporary market at 20 Truong Chinh Street, Kien An, Hai Phong.
The temporary market began operating in 2022, and commercial activity was still being recorded there during 2026.
This temporary location is the place to investigate for electronic accessories, tools, or products Cho Sat was historically known for.
Looking for one particular shop? Call or ask before making the journey, since traders may relocate again as development arrangements change.
The original Cho Sat site has been undergoing redevelopment, with project extensions still reported in late 2025.
What happened to Tam Bac Market?
Another market that often appears in older Hai Phong travel guides is Tam Bac Market, also known locally as Cho Do, or the Fallen Market.
It was located around Phan Boi Chau Street.
Following a major fire in 2023, the old market building stopped operating. The site has since been designated for a public garden project, with the project timeline extended into 2026.
Older photos showing a busy indoor market at Tam Bac no longer reflect the current condition of the original building.
Practical tips for visiting markets in Hai Phong
Arriving at the right market at the wrong hour wastes the trip.
Stalls keep their own hours: fresh food vendors may finish early, street food stalls may start later, and some markets only reach their full size on particular days.
Prices in traditional markets vary considerably. Seafood is affected by freshness and size, plants by species and condition, and secondhand goods by how well they work.
Parking charges can also vary, so check the posted fee at the parking area rather than assuming every market charges the same amount.
Carry some small-denomination Vietnamese dong. QR payments are common in Vietnam, but cash can still be convenient for quick purchases at smaller stalls.
Use a staffed or designated parking area and keep your ticket. Don’t leave a motorcycle blocking market entrances or loading areas.
Traveling by car? Look for legal parking nearby and walk the remaining distance. Several streets in central Hai Phong have one-way traffic arrangements, making spontaneous U-turns or shortcuts a bad idea.
Keep your valuables in a bag worn in front of you in crowded aisles. It’s also much easier to explore without dragging a suitcase through narrow market passages, so leave larger luggage at your accommodation first.
Finally, if you have a shrimp or crab allergy, ask about ingredients before ordering food. Some dishes that appear to contain only noodles, vegetables, or broth may use seafood-based ingredients or seasonings.
A different side of Hai Phong, one market at a time
At Ha Lung, you can watch flower sellers organize fresh bundles as the morning begins. At Cho Hang, you might find yourself chatting with someone about a vintage fan you never intended to buy. And at Cat Bi, a quick afternoon snack can easily turn into an hour of trying one more local specialty.
Each market peaks at its own hour, so pick one per morning or afternoon that matches your interests, arrive at the right time, and leave room to wander.
Frequently asked questions
Can you find food at Cat Bi Market in the morning?
Yes. Some food stalls begin serving around 10 AM, although not every vendor opens that early. The street food section is generally busiest from 3 PM to 7 PM. For the liveliest food market atmosphere and a wider choice of operating stalls, the afternoon is a better bet.
What day is Cho Hang Market open?
Cho Hang is mainly a weekend market, with Sunday morning being the busiest and most complete market session. Some vendors also operate on Saturdays. To browse plants, secondhand goods, and local market stalls, go on Sunday between 7 AM and 9 AM.
Is Cho Sat Market in Hai Phong still operating?
The original Cho Sat building in central Hai Phong has been demolished. Many vendors moved to a temporary market at 20 Truong Chinh Street in Kien An, where trading activity was still recorded in 2026. Check ahead if you're looking for a specific shop.
Does the 53 Lach Tray night street sell fresh seafood?
It's primarily a commercial, dining, and entertainment street, not a traditional fresh seafood market. The street opened on October 30, 2026, and operates from 5 PM to midnight during its pilot period. For seafood to cook yourself, Cat Bi Market in the morning is a better choice.
Is Ha Lung Flower Market open year-round?
Yes. Ha Lung is a regular wholesale flower market and trades outside the Tet season too. It trades from around 2 AM to 10 AM, although individual vendors may have different hours. Sunrise is a convenient time for visitors, and retail buyers should ask whether small quantities are available.
