Con Market in Da Nang: History, Opening Time, What to Buy

Cồn Market (Vietnamese: Chợ Cồn) is considered to be one of the symbols of Da Nang City of Vietnam. It is located at the center of the city and well-known for the variety of specialties it offers as well as a wide array of local souvenirs. If you plan to visit Cho Con Market in Da Nang city, make the most of your trip through this guide below.

• Location: 290 Hung Vuong, Vinh Trung, Hai Chau, Da Nang
• Opening hours: Daily from 6.00 AM - 7:30 PM

History of  Cho Con Market in Danang, Vietnam:

In 1940, a local market was built on a high dune in the heart of Da Nang, and it was named “Cồn” which means “small hill” in Vietnamese. In 1984, the Con Market was officially changed its name to “The Commercial Center”. However, local residents and other people still use the original name “Con Market” because it’s easier to call.

Architecture and Structure of Con Market:

Con Market is relatively large area, consists of 2 buildings and 6 big corners, with about 2000 different stores and booths. Since it is a vital and long-standing wholesale market of Danang city, Con Market has everything you need, from fresh food and fruits, clothing, footwear to essential household items.

1. Area for Local Goods:

The outer part of Con Market is full of fresh, locally-grown coffee and tea stalls. You can also find other ingredients here like spices, sugar, cereal… and hand-made baskets as well.  If you go a bit further, you will see the fruits and dry food section, along with fresh vegetables.

Keep going inside, you will see the fresh products, where butchers and fishmongers sell day’s fillets and cuts. If you enjoy fresh food and want to cook them yourself, this is a place with great diversity and you will probably see many different species that may not appear in your country.

Finally, inside the building, you can find some cheap accessories and clothing. They sell a wide range of affordable outfits and also fabric if you want to get custom made clothes. Also, if you need household appliances, this market is also a good place to shop for those.

2. The Food Zone:

Con Market is the Food Heaven to locals and tourists when visiting Danang city. You can find so many different street food and local specialties in the market. The culinary area at Con market is divided into 3 areas: Dry Food Zone, Outdoor Food Zone and Indoor Food Zone.

• Dry Food Zone:

This is the area that most tourists would visit when coming to Con Market, since can buy and immediately try the items available, but they can also buy fresh and delicious dried products as a gift to bring home.

Since dried food has very quality packaging. tourists do not have to worry when packing it in their luggage and bring it home. The variety of dried food here is great, and each type of dried food actually has a different taste, but they all have a common feature: the smell of the sea in Da Nang.

• Indoor Food Zone:

The . Indoor Food Zone’s layout and arrangement is very neat and easy to follow. Along the path, it is divided into 2 neat and clean sides. On the left side, you can see many booths that trade sweet dishes such as tea, smoothies, fruits like pickled toad, pickled tamarind,…

Looking to the right side this is the most interesting one you’ll see countless hot dishes that are ideal for main meals like breakfast, lunch or even dinner. Some famous dishes are: all kinds of noodles (bun, pho, mien, mi,…) , grilled meat vermicelli, banh beo, banh xeo, banh can, … Surprisingly, the price is extremely affordable, only fluctuating about 15,000 30,000 VND, so only ~$1-$2/person for a full, delicious meal.

• Outdoor Food Zone:

The Outdoor Food Zone of Con Market has always been known as the “snack paradise”. This is a place where you can visit anytime during the day to quickly grab something to eat and drink. There are a lot of snacks such as spring rolls, noodles, banh canh, quang noodles, beef dry salad, duck eggs, banh beo,…

If you need some beverage to kill your thirst, the options for drink are also very wide: the famous Ca Phe Sua Da (Iced Milk Coffee), banana tea, rub pomegranate seeds,… Just like the indoor food court, the price is even cheaper out here. An interesting thing is that the sellers only need a few chairs and a small space with moderate space to serve a dish. That way, they can carry their booth to anywhere they want.

What Local Food To Eat In Con Market?

Con Market has something for everyone. But  the most special things that Con Market attracts the locals and visitors is definitely the “food heaven”. It has all kinds of street food and local specialties available only in Da Nang, at an very fair price and in very good quality.

• Banh Xeo (Fried Pancake):

A kind of crispy rice cake topped with shrimp, beef, bean sprouts and vegetables, dipped in a special fish sauce. You will find a lot of booths selling this cake, as it’s the most famous specialty in Da Nang. A set of Banh Xeo usually consists of: 5-7 small pieces of Banh Xeo, extra vegetables, and a bowl of special fish sauce. Usually, visitors also order for 4-6 more sticks of “Nem Lui” to eat with Banh Xeo   a kind of meat-stick. The whole thing would probably cost you 50.000VND (~$2).

• Quang Noodle (Mì Quảng):

Mi Quang is a special noodle in Vietnam’s South Central area. This noodle is sophisticatedly made, from the cake, to the filling, side dishes and especially the broth, with its own characteristics that are creamy and fatty. There are different versions of Quang Noodle so that you can choose the one that fits your appetite, such as chicken noodle, shrimp noodle, snakehead fish noodle…

When you order a bowl of Quang Noodle, lightly mix the combination so that the broth can be absorbed into each noodle thread, mixed with raw vegetables, peanuts and squeeze a few drops of lemon juice. After that, you can enjoy the most of its flavor. A bowl of Mi Quang would cost about 30.000VND 50.000VND (~$1 $2)

• Fresh Rice Paper Rolls with Pork (Bánh Tráng Thịt Heo)

This is a kind of cake that is also made from rice paper, like Banh Xeo. However, the rice paper here is slightly dipped in water so that it becomes soft and chewy. Delicious pork is cut into very thin pieces yet it still remains its plasticity. Served with raw vegetables with a variety of vegetables from lettuce, cilantro to mangoes, green bananas … Everything is then rolled up and dipped in a special fish sauce whose taste differs in each restaurant. One set of Banh trang cuon thit heo (for one person) is usually 50.000VND (~$2)

• Tapioca Noodle Soup (Banh Canh):

Banh Canh is a typical dish of Hue, however it has been changed to fit with the taste of Da Nang’s locals. Like Mi Quang, Banh Canh also has many flavors such as pork, shrimp, and snakehead fish. The noodle yarn is also very diverse: flour noodle, rice noodle… A bowl of hot soup cake with delicious broth, with a few pieces of red pepper in the winter not only the visitors but the local people also love Banh Canh and can eat it everyday without getting bored of the dish. A bowl of Banh Canh is around 30.000 50.000VND (~$1-$2)

What Things/Gifts to Buy in Cho Con Market?

Same like many other Markets in Vietnam, when visiting a local market, you're bound to come across stalls selling fake well-known products such as bags, wallets, Clothes, and watches. So you can find many fake designers here to buy for your souvenir and bring home.

There are also many things from the dry food zone in Con Market that you can take home as a gift for your family and friends. A few famous things are listed below:

• Mực rim me Đà Nẵng: Fried squid with tamarind sauce
• Mực xé ăn liền Đà Nẵng: Instant grilled squid
• Cá khô Đà Nẵng: Local Dried fish
• Nước mắm Nam Ô Đà Nẵng: Nam O fish sauce
• Mắm nêm, mắm ruốc Đà Nẵng: Fermented Shrimp Paste
• Kẹo đậu phộng Đà Nẵng: Peanut Candy
• Trà sâm dứa Đà Nẵng: Pineapple Ginseng Tea

How to Get to Cho Con Market in Da Nang?

Located at the corner of Quang Trung and Ong Ich Khiem roads Con Market stays right in the center of the city. You can get there by taxi or by GrabBike. It will only cost maximum 80.000VND (~$4) if you stay near the center.

You can download the Grab apps on your phone to estimate the price and directions before booking the grab taxi or a motorbike taxi. From Da Nang International Airport, it’s only 2.5km and take about 10 minutes to the market.

Adventure Journey

See Also:

• Danang Vietnam Location, History, Weather and Best Time to Visit
• What Things to Do and Best Places to Visit in Danang City Vietnam
• Best Street Food and Local Restaurants to Eat in Da Nang Vietnam