Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City
| Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City | |||||||||||||||
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| Binh Tay Market in Cholon | |||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 堤岸[2][3] | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | embankment | ||||||||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||
| Quốc ngữ | Chợ Lớn | ||||||||||||||
| Chữ nôm | 𢄂𡘯( )[1] |
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Chợ Lớn (
listen) is a Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). It is the largest Chinatown in Vietnam. It lies on the west bank of the Saigon River, having Binh Tay Market as its central market. Cholon consists of the western half of District 5 as well as several adjoining neighborhoods in District 6.
The Vietnamese name Cholon literally means "big" (lớn) "market" (chợ). The Chinese name (and original name) of Cholon is 堤岸 (pronounced Tai-Ngon in Cantonese and Dī'àn in Mandarin,[2][3] which means "embankment" (French: quais). The Vietnamese reading of the Chinese name is Đê Ngạn, but this is rarely used. Vietnamese speakers exclusively use the name Chợ Lớn, while Chinese speakers (both inside Vietnam and in China) are the only users of the latter.
In 1778, the Hoa (Chinese minority of Vietnam) living in Bien Hoa had to take refuge in what is now Cholon because they were retaliated against by the Tây Sơn forces for their support of the Nguyễn Lords. In 1782, they were again massacred by the Tây Sơn and had to rebuild. They built high embankments against the flows of the river, and called their new settlement Tai-Ngon (meaning "embankment" in Cantonese).
Incorporated in 1879 as a city 11 km from Saigon. By the 1930s, it had expanded to the city limit of Saigon. On April 27, 1931, the two cities were merged to form Saigon-Cholon. In 1956, "Cholon" was dropped from the name and the city became known as Saigon.
During the Vietnam War, soldiers and deserters from the United States Army maintained a thriving black market at Cholon, trading in various American and especially U.S Army-issue items.
Today, Cholon especially attracts many Mainland Chinese and Taiwanese tourists.
[edit] Notable residents
- Yvon Petra - He was born in Cholon. He is best remembered as the last Frenchman to win the Wimbledon championships men's singles title in 1946.
- Cao Văn Viên - Chief of the Joint General Staff of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam from 1966 to 1975.[4][5]
[edit] See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chinatown, Ho Chi Minh City |
[edit] References
Coordinates: 10°44′56″N 106°39′00″E / 10.749°N 106.65°E
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