Food festival · 4–6 Dec 2026 · Cholon
Chợ Lớn Food Story 2026
Lễ hội Ẩm thực Chợ Lớn Food Story 2026
Should you go? Yes, if you are in Saigon from 4 to 6 December 2026. Cholon's yearly food festival brings about 60 stalls of Vietnamese and Chinese-Vietnamese (Hoa) dishes under one roof, with cooking demos, lion and dragon dancing at the opening and music in the evenings. It is the easiest way to taste Chinatown in one evening.
Current status
The 4th edition runs 4–6 December 2026, organised by the People's Committee of An Dong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Stalls open from 9:00 am on 4 December, and from 7:00 am to 9:30 pm on 5 and 6 December (Thanh Nien, SGGP, October 2026). The 2025 edition drew big weekend crowds.
At a glance
- Dates
- Fri 4 – Sun 6 December 2026
- Hours
- From 9:00 am on 4 Dec (opening 6:00 pm); 7:00 am – 9:30 pm on 5–6 Dec
- Where
- 105 Tran Hung Dao, An Dong Ward (Cholon)
- Stalls
- About 60, Vietnamese and Hoa food
What's on
- About 60 stalls of Vietnamese and Hoa (Chinese-Vietnamese) dishes from Cholon's kitchens.
- Opening night on Friday 4 December at 6:00 pm, with festival drums, lion dance and dragon dance.
- Saturday 5 December: a hands-on session cooking signature Hoa dishes (2:00–4:00 pm) and a bicycle parade in the morning (8:00–9:00 am, planned).
- Taste-and-guess games, and Vietnamese and Chinese music with acoustic sets in the evenings.
- This year's theme is 'Bát Bửu – Sắc vị tinh hoa', the Eight Treasures, a nod to the lucky number 8.
How to get there
- Ride-hailing: ask for “105 Trần Hưng Đạo, phường An Đông”.
- Bus 1 runs from the city centre towards Cholon; city buses are free until 31 Dec 2026.
- Combine it with Cholon's old shops: see the Cholon food guide for places nearby.
Local tips
- Weekend evenings are the busiest; go on Friday daytime or in the mornings for shorter queues.
- Bring small cash notes; not every stall takes cards.
- Share dishes so you can try more stalls.
- The festival is one weekend only; the rest of the year, Cholon's family shops are open daily.
Watch: videos from past years
Videos by local creators and travellers, linked to their original YouTube channels. View counts as of October 2026.
Show this to your driver
Lễ hội Ẩm thực Chợ Lớn Food Story 2026
105 Trần Hưng Đạo, phường An Đông, TP.HCM
Not in town for the festival?
A local-led street food tour covers many of the same Cholon flavours any night of the year.
See Saigon food tours on Klook ↗
Affiliate link: same price for you, a small commission for us.
See next
Last checked: 30 October 2026. Sources: Thanh Nien, October 2026 · SGGP, October 2026 · Thanh Nien, December 2025. Hours and access can change, so check on the day.