Today on our tour of Saigon markets, we venture out into District 5. Frenzied, bustling District 5 has historically been the Chinatown of Saigon and full of wonderfully exotic and incredible traditional markets. We’ve covered some of them, such as An Dong 1, previously, and will cover even more in the weeks to come. Today, however, we round up our tour of the modern malls of Saigon at District 5’s Parkson Hung Vuong Plaza, sister mall to Parkson Saigon Tourist Plaza in District 1.
Even more massive and sprawling than Parkson Saigon Tourist Plaza or Diamond Plaza, Hung Vuong Plaza of course features the obligatory department store designer clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, and household goods. It even has a similar giant food court just as people-watching worthy as the other Parkson.
What really sets Hung Vuong Plaza apart and actually makes it worth the trip out into District 5 for those closer to the other malls, are the additional amenities it can offer only by virtue of its sheer size. Thus, at Parkson you can find an entire floor devoted to California Wow, the 24 Hour Fitness owned gym franchise. For those looking for a Western-style gym, this is as close as it gets in Vietnam. You’ll find the exact same machines and weights used in 24 Hour Fitness locations in the US–the weights are even measured in pounds! Yoga fanatics will be pleased to know that you can even find Hot Yoga there–the only place this writer was able to find the class in Vietnam.
Of course, California Wow has since added an additional location in District 1, so what else differentiates Hung Vuong Plaza from its counterparts in District 1? Well, the sit-down restaurants and rooftop bar are a nice place for a date, for one. The International Language Academy (ILA) English school location (there are about 6 in the city) that takes up an entire floor of the building is yet another reason.
But probably one of the most popular draws is the modern cinema at the top: Megastar Cineplex. One of the premier cinemas in the city, people come to Megastar to see movies they can’t catch at Galaxy cinema–even the latest 3D ones!
Whatever your taste, Hung Vuong Plaza is the mega-complex that seems to offer everything, so swing on by and check out one of the most bustling and modern malls in Saigon. There’s even a condominium tower right behind the mall so if you’ve got some money to spare, you might even consider leasing a unit and having the entire place at your fingertips.
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