If you have the opportunity to visit Phan Thiet, try stopping at Con Cha Fish Market, where you can feel the most clearly the rhythm of life of a coastal city. Not just a place to buy and sell seafood, this fish market is also a vivid picture of the culture of fishermen, the diligence and resilience of people who make a living by the water.
An early morning visit to Con Cha Fish Market
Con Cha Fish Market is located in the coastal area of Duc Thang ward, Phan Thiet city, only about 10 minutes from the city center by motorbike or car. From familiar tourist attractions such as Dinh Van Thuy Tu, Phan Thiet embankment or Duc Thanh school, you can easily visit the market on your journey to explore this beautiful coastal city.
The best time to visit the market is between 4 and 7 am, when the sun is about to rise to welcome the new day, which is also the time when fishing boats and ships begin to dock, bringing fresh seafood. This is also the busiest and most crowded time of the market – buyers and sellers are bustling about. At that time, you can see the scene of baskets of fish, squid, and shrimp still soaked in seawater being continuously passed from ships and boats to the hands of sellers.
Seafood at the market is always fresh, attracting buyers
Early morning to go to Con Cha Fish Market, you should go from around 4 o'clock to feel it most clearly.
The sky was still dimly lit, but the market was bustling and crowded like daytime. The smell of the sea, the smell of fish, the smell of the wind mixed together, creating a unique, unmistakable smell of a seafood market. I walked between the rows of goods, my hands still cold from the dew, listening to the sound of waves, the sound of boats docking, the sound of conversation and people calling each other, ... sounds that seemed noisy, but were familiar, typical of Con Cha Fish Market, Phan Thiet.
A woman selling squid looked at me and smiled, then invited: "Want to buy squid? Just caught this morning, still alive!"
Distinctive space
Con Cha Fish Market is located right near the center of Phan Thiet city, but still retains the rustic, familiar features of a traditional market.
Not planned in a modern way like supermarkets or central markets, Con Cha still retains the rustic, familiar features of a traditional market, where people display goods right on the ground, foam boxes, plastic basins with ice, containing seawater are placed everywhere, goods are always fresh, there are no listed prices, invoices, wholesale, bargaining is done through conversation, ... - all create a unique, unmistakable space.
Goods are displayed on the ground, buyers and sellers exchange and bargain directly
That space, those people - make me feel like I am no longer a tourist, but a part of the rhythm of life here. A strange but pleasant feeling.
Coming to Con Cha Fish Market, you will feel like you are lost in a "treasure trove" of fresh seafood. From mackerel, tuna, cuttlefish, squid, to crabs, crabs, scallops... all have just been caught, still have the characteristic shine, firmness and freshness. What is special that you can find here are also strange seafood that are rarely found elsewhere such as sardines, orange fish, stingrays or mantis shrimp.
Con Cha Fish Market has more diverse seafood than you think.
Red sea bream
If you want to feel the vibrant and complete rhythm of the sea, you should visit the market from March to August, when the sea is calm, the weather is favorable for fishing and the seafood output is the most abundant in the year. On full moon days, the market is often more bustling, because fishermen go out to sea more, bringing back more seafood than usual.
Coastal people
What makes Con Cha Fish Market different is not only the goods, but also the people. The vendors here have the simple nature of coastal people. They are willing to chat, tell you about each type of fish and how to process it. They are simple, rustic, gentle like calm sea days, seeing customers as precious, not forcing or forcing them to buy.
The people here are always friendly, generous and lovely
"This fish is great grilled and eaten with rice paper. Are you from far away? Bring some back as a gift for fun!". Although it was just a short conversation with a fisherman, it was enough to leave me with an interesting impression of Phan Thiet and the people here.
For those who love culture, Con Cha Fish Market is not only a place for trading, but also a living museum reflecting the working life of coastal people. Each boat or ship that docks carries a story, each person here is a true slice of the bustling life on the water.
Con Cha Fish Market - a unique feature that is hard to confuse
Compared to many traditional markets in big cities - where goods are displayed neatly on shelves, stalls and the space is somewhat commercialized, Con Cha Fish Market brings a completely different experience. This is where you can immerse yourself in the real working life, witness and feel the "fresh" atmosphere in both the literal and figurative sense.
Unlike night markets or tourist markets designed for visitors, Con Cha Fish Market has a unique local character, mainly serving local people. And that is why Con Cha has become an attractive destination for tourists who love discovery and authenticity.
Compared to Ganh Do fish market (Phu Yen), Hon Ro fish market (Nha Trang) or Binh Dong market (Ca Mau), Con Cha Fish Market, although small, is very "rich" in the flavor of the Central region.
Unlike seafood markets in the North - which are often seasonal - or the West - which have many rivers and countryside specialties, Central markets like Con Cha are more industrious, neat and tidy. The meticulousness in selecting fish, the way of preserving them with ice, and the neat arrangement of fish baskets reflect the hard-working and meticulous lifestyle of Phan Thiet people.
Don't miss the morning at Con Cha Fish Market
Phan Thiet is a coastal city with a rich and diverse culinary culture, famous for dishes made from fish sauce, braised mackerel, mai fish salad, grilled squid with salt and chili... Therefore, the fish market here is not only a place to provide fresh ingredients, but also the "root" for a whole developing culinary culture.
If you are a travel enthusiast, a food lover, or simply want to understand more about Vietnamese fishing culture, then Con Cha Fish Market is a destination you should not miss. Get up early, go to the market when the sun has just risen, walk around the fish baskets still soaked in seawater, listen to the bustling laughter, and let yourself melt into the salty breath of the windy and sunny land.
And when you leave, you may bring back not only a few kilos of fresh seafood or some specialties as gifts, but also very ordinary, yet authentic and profound memories of a land - where people live with the sea, make friends with the waves, and put their souls into each early morning catch of fish.
Every sound, every color in the market reminds you of the folk songs and lullabies of the sea. Here, you can feel the harmony between nature and people, between the salty taste of the ocean and the rustic simplicity.
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CREDIT:
- Photography: Kien Trang
- Content: Giang Huynh
- Design: Phuong Nguyen
