Brightly colored gowns, slippersand headdresses are sold at adwindling number of stores here.

On your left is diminutive PhuDinh Street. Go past the quainttemple to find several no-frillscafes and eateries. Back on LuongNhu Hoc, a row of shops from No.128 to No. 116 sells Chinesedragon masks used for festivals.They are colorful and make greatsouvenirs.

2 P.M. THIEN HAU PAGODARetrace your steps to Nguyen

Trai Street and turn right forThien Hau Pagoda, at No. 710. Can-tonese founders dedicated thistemple-pagoda in 1760 to ThienHau, Goddess Protector of Seafar-ers, thanking her for safe passageacross the South China Sea. One ofCholon’s most important pagodas,Thien Hau is also known as Wom-en’s Pagoda because the God-desses of Fertility and Mothers areworshipped here. It’s noteworthy,too, for its fine friezes, murals andglazed ceramic rooftop figurines.

Turn right into Trieu QuangPhuc. The less fussy Tam Son HoiQuan Temple, at No. 118, airs amore business-like approach.There’s a constant flow of womenhere, praying to improve their fer-tility, receiving blessings andspells in the process. Heading

south to Tran Hung Dao intersec-tion, Trung Nguyen makes a goodcafe stop.

3 P.M. TRADITIONAL MEDICINESTREET

Several footsteps and increas-ingly pungent aromas down TrieuQuang Phuc lead to Hai ThuongLan Ong, also known as MedicineStreet. Shops specializing in tradi-tional Chinese-Vietnamese medi-cine have long thrived here. Ashadow of its former self and un-dergoing haphazard redevelop-ment, this street is still home toseveral traditional medicineshops, mainly around the intersec-tion of Trieu Quang Phuc and HaiThuong Lan Ong streets.

These open-fronted shop-houses (note the well-preservedcolonial-era buildings from No. 41to No. 61) are crammed with medic-inal ingredients, cure-alls for mostailments. Hessian sacks of fungi,dried plants, roots and bark spillout on to the pavements, while cab-inet drawers inside are filled withherbs and other potions.

4 P.M. CHOLON JAMIAL MOSQUERetrace your steps to Nguyen

Trai Street and turn right. Set offthe street at No. 678 is Ong Pa-goda. Also known as Men’s Pa-goda, it’s the counterpart of Thien

Hau’s Women’s Pagoda. Althoughlovely, it shares similarities withprevious pagodas, so at this stageof the day, you can give this one amiss. A more unexpected sight,however, is at the nearby intersec-tion of Phu Dong Thien Vuong andNguyen Trai streets. The four mina-rets and simple blue and whitearchitecture of Cholon JamialMosque contrasts sharply with thearea’s pagodas.

4:30 P.M. SUNDOWNERSFrom Jamaial, walk east along

Nguyen Trai Street, then turn rightinto Tan Da Street. Apart from theArt Deco facade, state-run Arc-en-Ciel Hotel at No. 52-56 seems unre-markable. In a former life, how-ever, this was an epicentre ofsocial pursuits and holds intrigu-ing literary associations. Both Gra-ham Greene and his fictitiousThomas Fowler of “The QuietAmerican” frequented this place inthe early 1950s. Head for the ninth-floor rooftop garden terrace,which offers superb views and is apleasant spot for a cold beer. Forbetter vistas, take a five-minutetaxi ride to Windsor Plaza Hotel(18 An Duong Vuong), Cholon’s un-official gateway on its eastern bor-der. Catch the sunset at the 25th-floor rooftop terrace bar and res-taurant, Top of the Town.

TRAVEL

Binh Tay Market (Cho Binh Tay)57b Thap Muoi Street,District Sixtel: 08 3857 1512;www.chobinhtay.gov.vn

Cha Tam Church / Nha ThoPhan Xico Xavie25 Hoc Lac Street, [junction ofTran Hung Dao and Hoc Lacstreets].

Quan Am Pagoda / Chua OnLang / Chua Quan Am12 Lao Tu Street

Thuan Kieu Plaza190 Hong Bang Street

Hai San Restaurant /Nha Hang Hai San Thuan Kieu;Dim Sumtel: +84 8 3955 2577

Lau Ca Restaurant / Nha HangLau Ca Thuan Kieutel: +84 8 3955 6131.

Phuoc An Hoi Quan Pagoda(Chua Minh Huong)184 Hong Bang Street

Thien Hau Pagoda(Chua Thien Hau)710 Nguyen Trai Street

Tam Son Hoi Quan Temple118 Trieu Quang Phuc Street

Trung Nguyen Café347 Tran Hung Dao Street

Ong Pagoda(Nghia An Hoi Chan Temple)678 Nguyen Trai Street

Cholon Jamial Mosque(Thanh Duong Hoi Giao Cholon)641 Nguyen Trai Street

Arc-en-Ciel Hotel52-56 Tan Da Streettel: 3855 4435www.arcencielhotel.com.vn

Windsor Plaza Hotel Saigon18 An Duong Vuong Streettel: +84 8 3833 6688www.windsorplazahotel.com

Bien Dong 5 Restaurant410-412 An Vuong Duong Streettel: 3830 7631

FACT SHEETALL DISTRICT FIVE (apart from Binh Tay Market)

TraciD

aberko

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