Hom Market (Cho Hom)

Hom Market, or Cho Hom, is a multi-storey local market at 79 Pho Hue in Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi, Vietnam, about 1.5 km south of Hoan Kiem Lake. It is best known for its upstairs fabric halls, where rolls of cotton, linen, silk, lace and lining are sold by the metre and tailors working on site will copy a garment or make one to measure for a fraction of Hang Gai prices. The ground floor covers fresh produce, dried goods, coffee, spices and household items. The market differs from tourist-oriented shopping because it serves Hanoi residents, so goods are practical and priced for local buyers, and very few stalls sell souvenirs. Quality varies by stall: fabrics range from cheap synthetics to good cotton and silk blends, and fibre content is not always as labelled, so buyers should feel and check the cloth. Tailoring quality depends on the individual tailor, and a fitting stage is worth requesting. Bargaining is normal for fabric and tailoring, and modest reductions on bulk purchases are common. Cash in dong is the standard payment, and card acceptance is rare. No tax refund is issued on market purchases. Fabric starts from about 50,000 VND per metre, and simple tailoring from about 300,000 VND. The atmosphere is busy but less crowded than Dong Xuan Market, and foreign visitors are far fewer, which makes the pace more relaxed. Food options include small stalls and eateries in and around the building and on Pho Hue, serving local dishes and drinks. The must-visit corners are the upper-floor fabric halls, where bolts are stacked floor to ceiling and tailors' workstations sit at the back. Visitors intending to have a garment copied can bring a sample piece and choose fabric before agreeing a price and a collection date.