Han market, Da Nang's riverside market under one roof

Han market is the central market of Da Nang, two floors under one roof on the west bank of the Han river. Downstairs sells what the coast dries, roasts and bottles: squid, fish, coffee, garlic, chilli sauce. Upstairs sells fabric and the tailoring to go with it.

Han is the market most visitors to Da Nang see, and the easiest one to shop. Being easy has costs, mostly in price, and they are worth knowing before you go in.

What is on each floor of Han market?

Han market puts food on the ground floor and cloth upstairs. Downstairs, the aisles run through dried seafood, coffee, tea, fruit, spices, sweets and rice paper. A wet market and a food section fill the back. Upstairs, the gallery in the cover photograph is fabric, clothes, bags and tailors.

The ground floor is where most visitors spend their money, and the upper floor is where they spend their time.

What should you buy at Han market?

The best buys at Han market are dried goods that travel. Dried squid is the Da Nang souvenir, sold by grade and weight. Garlic from Ly Son, the volcanic island to the south, comes in small bulbs at a premium. Coffee, chilli sauce and rice paper round it out.

Ask for anything dried to be vacuum-packed, which most stalls do at the counter. Check what your own country allows in before you buy seafood or garlic; the shopping guide covers what usually clears customs and what does not.

How do the tailors at Han market work?

Han market's upper-floor tailors make shirts, trousers, dresses and ao dai to measure, often within a day. You pick the fabric at the stall, the tailor measures you, and you come back for a fitting. A simple piece can be ready the same afternoon.

Agree the price, the fabric and the fitting time before you pay a deposit. Check the seams and the fit at the fitting and ask for changes then, not later. The tailors guide explains how this works across the country, and why Hoi An remains the place for anything serious.

What do things cost at Han market?

Han market prices start higher than the city's neighbourhood markets, because the stallholders know who walks in. Expect an opening price above what a local would pay, especially upstairs. Bargaining is normal on clothes and fabric and less so on packaged food with a printed price.

A fair approach is to ask two or three stalls for the same item and buy from the one in the middle. The scams guide has the short list of tricks to watch for at a tourist market, and weighing by eye is the one here.

When is Han market quietest?

Han market is quietest from about 9am to 11am, after the early food shoppers and before the tour groups. It opens roughly 6am and closes about 7pm, and the hour after 4pm is the most crowded of the day.

Arrive early if you want to see the market trading for Da Nang rather than for visitors. Arrive mid-morning if you want room to browse and a tailor with time to talk.

How does Han market compare with Con market?

Con market is the bigger, more local alternative, a short ride west of Han market. It has around 2,000 stalls, opens about 7am, and its food section is the reason most people go. Prices there are lower and the stallholders are less used to foreign customers.

Han is the easier first market: central, compact and simple to navigate. Con is the better one for eating and for watching the city shop. If you have a morning for each, do Han for buying and Con for lunch.

How do you fit Han market into a day in Da Nang?

Han market sits on Bach Dang street by the river, a ten-minute walk north of the Dragon Bridge. The riverside hotels are on its doorstep. The Da Nang where-to-stay guide lists rooms around the market from 400,000 dong.

The present building opened in 1991, replacing a market that had stood on the site since the French period. It is no monument; the point is the trade. An hour covers it, and the Da Nang things-to-do guide sets out what else fills the day, from the beach to the Marble Mountains.