My goal is to travel the world and document the everyday scenes on the streets. I was able to capture the beauty of the busy everyday life in the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and here are some of my favorite shots from my ‘Street Photography in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’ series.
Ho Chi Minh City, or as the locals still fondly call Saigon, is one of the most underrated destinations in Southeast Asia, especially for street photography. Currently having almost 9 million people in population, it is considered as the biggest city in Vietnam, and one of the biggest cities in Southeast Asia in terms of population. That being said, the hustle and bustle of the chaotic city life in Ho Chi Minh City is a very good opportunity for street photography. It is worth documenting how the locals deal with everyday living in this beautiful city.
Ho Chi Minh City has lots of mixtures of old and new: it is a very cosmopolitan city with a huge expat community, many skyscrapers and modern infrastructure, but at the same time it tries its best to maintain historical buildings which creates nice juxtapositions. More popularly, Ho Chi Minh City is very well known to have lots of motorbikes along the streets, as well as street food stalls and cafes.
Street Photography in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: My Collection
I was able to take random street photography shots around Ho Chi Minh City, and some of them were taken at Ben Thanh Market.
Tips for Street Photography in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Visit Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh Market, located at the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, is the most popular market in the city. This makes one of the best street photography locations in Ho Chi Minh City because of its liveliness both during the day and during nighttime. It is also the most touristy parts of the city because it is the best place to buy some souvenir items — from shirts, coffee drips, Vietnamese coffee, fans, and the like.
With the huge tower clock outside and unique architectural features, the market marks one of the most memorable remembrances of the French colonial period in Vietnam.
Capture the famous motorbikes!
Ho Chi Minh City is known to have almost 2 million registered motorbikes of all sorts, making it one of the most popular subjects of street photography in the city. Just like what you see from any other Asian cities, Vietnamese people are pretty creative when it comes to utilizing their motorbikes. They can fit their whole family in one ride (with children sometimes sandwiched in between parents to prevent them from falling, which, of course, does not make it a safer ride), they can carry big boxes, and women in skirts and high heels can drive motorbikes with ease.
Those who have been to Ho Chi Minh City know that trying to cross the street can be a life or death situation, but there is always a trick to do it.
ALSO, HERE ARE SOME INTERESTING VIDEOS ABOUT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY IN ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam:
Check out my other street photography collections from other cities of the world!