After 5 years of operation, the Son Tra Night Market located in the eastern side of the Dragon Bridge has topped out as one of the most visited tourist attractions in Da Nang, and it is the most attractive to domestic and foreign tourists compared with the other night markets in the city.
Foreign tourists are interested in the city’s souvenir items that symbolize local cultural elements. Photo: D.N
Da Nang has entered its peak season for tourism since the beginning of summer. Especially, the Son Tra Night Market was daily crowded with visitors from 6:00pm until after midnight during the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) 2023 which lasted more than one month.
Ms. Chau Thi My Anh, the owner of a souvenir stall in this night market, excitedly said that the market has welcomed thousands of visitors in recent days, especially at the weekend, to have fun, do shopping and enjoy local foods, bringing vibrant atmosphere to the tourist city.
Currently, there are a combined total of more than 190 stalls operating in this inviting night market, and these stalls sell clothes, food, souvenir items, and so on. In addition, this venue also offers a wide range of massage and relaxation services focusing on reducing pain and stress and increasing mobility so these services are the most popular with customers from China and South Korea. In particular, this night market offers diverse choices of souvenirs featuring iconic images of the city to tourists. Included are keychains, T-shirts, leather bags, cloth bags, conical hats painted or embroidered with the images of the Dragon and Han River bridges or the word of Da Nang and a red heart, and more.
The Son Tra Night Market Management Board also encourages stall traders to sell handcrafted products, souvenirs, typical products that are made in Da Nang and neighboring localities. Recently, Da Nang DHTC Joint Stock Company which is the management unit of the Son Tra Night Market has worked with the municipal Department of Industry and Trade to open a selling point for locally-made products of the national One Commune-One Product (OCOP) program and local typical products. Accordingly, a total of 250 products, including handicrafts, pharmaceutical products of natural origins, and processed foods are on display and being sold here. These products are manufactured by 38 companies based in Da Nang and other parts of Central Viet Nam.
Specifically, the selling point featuring 8 neatly arranged and eye-catching market stalls makes it convenient for local residents and tourists to visit and do shopping.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Men, a resident from Hai Duong Province said: “I usually travel to Da Nang due to the nature of my employment duties, and I don't miss the opportunity to visit the Son Tra Night Market to enjoy local foods during my stay in the city. Delicious fresh seafood specialties are available to guests, and appropriate combo meal menu prices are set to be tailored to their needs. Therefore, I really like seafood dishes here."
"We offer delightful seafood meals at an affordable price, and we make all our customers feel home with a menu in multiple languages. All of market stall traders like us want to hold our businesses for the long-term, so we always remind each other to protect our business’s reputation and play our part in affirming the city’s title as a beautiful and friendly city," Ms. My Na, the owner of a seafood stall remarked.
Mr. Do Ngoc Thi Ca, the Director of the Da Nang DHTC Joint Stock Company, said that tourists at both home and abroad are very excited to visit the Son Tra Night Market to immerse themselves in local culture and cuisine in addition to enjoying sightseeing, entertainment activities, swimming at beach.
About 80-85% of the total visitor arrivals in Da Nang prefer to explore the Son Tra Night Market due to the city's great efforts to boost social media marketing for this venue. The Da Nang DHTC Joint Stock Company is working closely with relevant units to ensure a consistent level of service quality, food safety and hygiene in this night market in a bid to make it more inviting to locals along with domestic and foreign tourists.
“In the near future, our company will make greater efforts to make the Son Tra night market more attractive to tourists with a focus on installing eye-catching decorative lights, and inviting foreign bands to perform weekly here. In our efforts to make Da Nang different from other Vietnamese localities, our company is encouraging market stall owners to bring more quality products such as OCOP goods to serve customers as one of the biggest consumer trends of recent years and 2023 is the rise in the use of clean and healthy products. We will continue our efforts to develop the Son Tra Night Market into an attractive tourism product of the city,” said Mrs. Ca.
Reporting by Diep Nhu – Translating by H.L