Long Bien Market

Long Bien Market is the largest wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Hanoi, Vietnam, spread beneath and beside Gustave Eiffel's 1902 Long Bien Bridge on the Red River bank, between the Old Quarter and the river. Trucks unload from about 11PM, and the floor works through the night: porters carry baskets on shoulder poles, and mountains of dragon fruit, lychee, pomelo and leafy vegetables are weighed and sold by torchlight and bare bulbs. It empties by about 8AM. The market is a photographers' site more than a shoppers' one, and it is not a source of souvenirs. Goods are fresh produce sold in bulk to restaurants, retailers and street vendors, so the question of authentic versus tourist goods does not arise; everything is a genuine working trade. Bargaining is standard between traders, and small retail buyers can expect to pay near wholesale prices, from about 10,000 VND per kilo for basic produce. Payment is by cash, card acceptance is essentially non-existent, and no tax refund applies. The atmosphere is intense, damp and fast-moving, with carts, motorbikes and porters sharing narrow gaps, and a strong smell of fruit and river. It is safer to move slowly, keep to the sides and ask before photographing people at work. Food options are limited on site, though street vendors sell coffee, snacks and noodle dishes in the early hours, and the Old Quarter has all-night and early-opening breakfast stalls. The busiest section is the main floor beneath the bridge approach, where the largest volume of produce changes hands between 03:00 and 07:00. Visitors can also walk the bridge at dawn for views over the market and the river, although the bridge is in poor condition in places and demands care. Wear closed shoes, since the ground is wet and cluttered with produce.